President William Ruto has announced that the State will pay the costs of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) short courses, removing the previous Ksh 6,000 per-module fee for teachers. The 2026/2027 budget includes a Ksh 900 million allocation for teacher capacity building, and the move is tied to wider reforms including a relaunch of TPD, the proposed Kenya School of Education, and a change in terminology to Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Key Takeaways
- State-funded TPD: Government will cover the Ksh 6,000 fee per module from a Ksh 900 million budget allocation.
- TPD/CPD framework: TPD will be relaunched and is expected to transition to Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
- Institutional change: Proposed Kenya School of Education (KSE) will consolidate in-service training institutions.
- Teacher concerns: Teachers want clarity on reimbursement, fund sufficiency, training quality and legal protections.
What this means for Teacher Professional Development
The State will now fund short courses required for teachers to hold a practising certificate. Previously, teachers paid Ksh 6,000 per TPD module. The new allocation of Ksh 900 million in the 2026/2027 budget aims to remove that financial barrier and ensure teachers can meet training requirements without paying out of pocket.
Background and timeline
TPD under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) requires teachers to complete six modules over a 30-year career. Completion is tied to the practising certificate, which is renewed every five years. Section 35 of the TSC Act makes compliance mandatory; failure to comply can bar a teacher from the classroom. The government’s funding pledge was announced during World Teachers Day and follows months of stakeholder consultations and a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) carried out under the KPEEL programme.
Why TPD matters
TPD aims to keep teachers current on pedagogy, curriculum changes and classroom technology. For many teachers, the issue was not the value of training but who pays. Paying Ksh 6,000 per module was a heavy burden for lower-grade teachers balancing loans, rent and family costs. State funding removes the cost barrier and reduces the risk that capable teachers will be excluded for lack of funds.
TSC relaunch, proposed Kenya School of Education and CPD
The TSC plans to relaunch the training programme informed by the national TNA survey. The new education bills propose creating the Kenya School of Education (KSE) to absorb existing training bodies such as CEMASTEA and KEMI. The move aims to coordinate in-service training, reduce duplication and improve quality. The bills also propose renaming TPD to Continuous Professional Development (CPD), emphasising ongoing learning rather than discrete modules.
Stakeholder engagement and quality assurance
TSC engaged unions and organisations—KNUT, KUPPET, KICD, the British Council and others—during consultations. Unions that had pushed for employer-funded training welcomed the funding pledge, but teachers will be watching for quality. Free training will only be valuable if it is practical, relevant and accessible to teachers in remote areas with limited internet access.
Other announcements affecting teachers
The President also confirmed more moves that affect career progression and staffing: a new Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) due soon, a major teacher recruitment drive that has added over 100,000 teachers with another 20,000 planned, and an increase in promotions — from 34,016 promoted in one year to a promised 50,000 in the next financial year. These changes connect to TPD since professional development contributes to promotion and competency under the Competency Based Education (CBE) reforms.
Questions teachers will be watching
- Will the Ksh 900 million be enough to cover demand and avoid turnaways?
- Will teachers who already paid for modules receive refunds or credit?
- How will the quality, relevance and accessibility of training be guaranteed?
- Will compliance timelines tied to Section 35 be adjusted so teachers are not penalised for rollout delays?
How teachers can prepare now
While final details are confirmed, teachers can take practical steps to prepare:
- Follow official TSC announcements and complete any TNA activities when invited.
- Review current CPD/TPD topics and identify gaps — for example, digital skills and inclusive education.
- Use available curriculum resources to stay aligned with CBE changes, such as CBC curriculum designs and CBC lesson plans.
- Prepare for assessments or learning evidence by revising professional materials; teachers training for certification may find the Diploma in Education past papers helpful for practice.
Bottom line
The government’s commitment to fund Teacher Professional Development removes a key financial grievance and aligns training with broader reforms (KSE, CPD, promotions and CBE stabilisation). Implementation details — fund sufficiency, reimbursement for already-paid fees, training quality and legal safeguards — will determine whether the policy delivers the intended relief and classroom impact.
