Leaders hail teachers' selfless service
Education
By
Mike Kihaki
| Oct 05, 2026
Leaders have paid tribute to teachers for their sacrifice and enduring contribution to the country, describing them as the foundation upon which the nation’s human capital and future are built.
Speaking during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebrations, President William Ruto said teachers played a role that extended far beyond the classroom, shaping the professionals, leaders and citizens who drive Kenya’s development.
“Teachers are the great heroes and patriots of our Republic,” Ruto said, noting that while parents are primarily responsible for their own children, teachers are entrusted with the education and wellbeing of an entire generation.
“Every parent cares for their own children. A teacher is asked to care for everyone else’s children. And you do so every single day,” he said.
Ruto said virtually every profession in the country could trace its roots to a teacher, from doctors and engineers to lawyers, scientists and architects.
“The engineer who builds our roads sat in your classroom. The doctor who treats our sick passed through your hands,” he said.
He thanked teachers for their patience, commitment and faithfulness, saying their contribution was central to the transformation of the country.
“You do not only teach Kenya’s children. You build the people who build Kenya,” the President said.
The celebrations came as the world marked six decades since the adoption of the 1966 international standard on the status of teachers, highlighting the importance of professional recognition, fair working conditions and respect for educators.
Ruto said Kenya’s Constitution recognises the importance of teachers through Article 237, which established the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to manage the teaching service and uphold professional standards.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said teacher welfare remained a priority, insisting that education could only thrive when teachers were supported financially, physically and mentally.
“Our education will only thrive if teachers are thriving financially, physically, and mentally,” Ogamba said.
He said standing with teachers should go beyond speeches and celebrations to practical measures that improve their working conditions, career progression and professional development.
“Standing with teachers means listening to them, investing in them, protecting their dignity and helping them reach their full potential,” he said.
Ogamba also acknowledged the immense pressure teachers have faced during the transition to Competency-Based Education, saying educators had remained at the centre of implementing the reforms from one level to another.
“Reforms of this scale bring challenges, and teachers are always at the vanguard in dealing with them,” he said.
He, however, stressed that teachers could not shoulder the responsibility of raising children alone.
He called on parents and communities to work with schools in promoting discipline, patriotism, environmental conservation, cohesion and responsible citizenship.
“Our children are our greatest investment, and teachers cannot raise them alone. Parents and communities must all play their part,” Ogamba said.
TSC Chairman Dr Jamleck Muturi also praised teachers for continuing to deliver the curriculum despite working in difficult environments.
“Teachers have worked tirelessly in different environments and conditions and are able to deliver the curriculum that they were given. Thanks for the job well done,” Muturi said.
He noted that every professional, regardless of their field, had at some point passed through the hands of a teacher.
“Any other professional passes through a teacher whether a politician, engineer, lawyer, clergy are a product of a teacher,” he said.
The Education Committee of the National Assembly chairman, Julius Melly, described teachers as the “centre nerve” of the nation, saying they continued to work under difficult and sometimes extreme conditions.
He said teachers played a critical role in shaping families and the country’s leadership, while assuring Junior Secondary School teachers that their concerns would be presented to Parliament.
Teacher unions used the occasion, however, to remind the government that celebrating teachers must be accompanied by concrete action on long-standing grievances.
KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu welcomed progress in teacher recruitment and promotions, noting that more than 100,000 teachers had been employed on permanent and pensionable
Oyuu further renewed calls for shorter Collective Bargaining Agreement cycles, arguing that teachers should not have to wait four years for improved terms.
KUPPET chairman Omboko Milemba highlighted groups he said remained overlooked, particularly Early Childhood Development Education teachers and unemployed P1-trained teachers aged above 45.
“On promotions, the forgotten teacher, the teacher who is not here and who must be sought to be brought here. That is the ECDE,” Milemba said.
He also raised concerns over the administration of Junior Secondary Schools, calling for greater autonomy to address tensions between primary school heads and JSS teachers.
KUPPET chairman Omboko Milemba highlighted groups he said remained overlooked, particularly Early Childhood Development Education teachers and unemployed P1-trained teachers aged above terms in recent years.
He also welcomed the increase in the teacher promotion budget to Sh2 billion and called for continued efforts to address stagnation.
KUPPET Deputy Secretary-General Thurima said separate administrative structures would clarify lines of authority and reduce friction.
“Granting JSS autonomy will reduce this tension, clarify line of authority and create harmonious environment for our education and learners,” he said.
Other concerns included the welfare of teachers in special schools, career progression and allowances.