Members of the National Assembly Committee on Education today held talks with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over proposed amendments to the Teachers Service Commission Bill, which seeks sweeping reforms in teacher recruitment, discipline and professional standards.
The meeting, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, brought together lawmakers and TSC commissioners led by Commission Chairperson Jamalck Muturi, who briefed the committee on key provisions of the draft law that would significantly expand the Commission’s administrative and disciplinary powers.
Among the proposals is a move to tighten entry requirements for teaching courses, strengthen the teacher registration and employment framework, and enhance oversight of professional conduct within the teaching service.
According to the proposed amendments, the Commission will be empowered to decentralise its functions through the establishment of zonal offices, create new directorates and set up an Institute of Teacher Support and Professional Development to oversee continuous teacher training.
The Bill also introduces new offences, including sexual exploitation of learners, while broadening the definition of serious offences to cover conduct that “grossly offends public policy and interest”.
Lawmakers questioned the broad nature of the amendments, noting that the Bill appears to affect almost every section of the existing Act.
“If the amendments touch on all provisions, why not repeal the entire Act and start afresh?” asked Mandera South MP Abdul Haro.
However, TSC Legal Director Cavin Anyuor defended the approach, saying the amendments were developed under guidance from the Attorney-General’s office to align the law with the Constitution and current administrative realities.
“We opted for amendment instead of repeal to preserve institutional continuity,” a TSC representative told the committee.
The draft law also proposes to define “institutional administrator” to include heads of schools, deputy principals, registrars, deans, senior teachers and other administrative staff — a move that sparked debate over how the structure would work in junior secondary schools.
Moiben MP Phylis Bartoo sought clarity on whether junior secondary schools would have separate deputies or fall under one principal.
Committee members also pressed the Commission to clarify disciplinary procedures and coordination with the Ministry of Education.
“Section 35 places disciplinary control with TSC, how will this converge with Ministry directives, and what happens when a teacher disobeys?” asked Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera
Under the proposed amendments, the Commission would be empowered to suspend or deregister teachers found guilty of professional misconduct. An internal review committee would be established to hear appeals before matters proceed to court.
The Bill further outlines minimum entry qualifications for teacher registration, introduces provisions on affirmative action and requires appointments to the Commission to reflect diversity and professional balance.
Questions were also raised over the operational costs of decentralisation, with Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera warning that establishing offices in every zone could strain the public purse.
“What if there are no funds to establish an office in every zone?” he posed.
Meanwhile, Imenti Central MP Clive Gisairo proposed technical corrections to academic qualification clauses, arguing that minimum grades should be clearly stated.
“C+ should be in both English and Kiswahili, not ‘or’,” he said.
The TSC maintained that the proposed amendments are aimed at enhancing professionalism in the teaching service, ensuring consistency in teacher management and aligning disciplinary measures with national laws.
