Teachers’ Union Pledges Support for President Ruto’s 2027 Re-election Bid

The Kenya National Union of Teachers has declared its backing for President William Ruto’s anticipated 2027 re-election campaign, citing progress in addressing longstanding employment concerns within the education sector.

Collins Oyoo, Secretary General of KNUT, made the announcement during grassroots elections held in Nandi County on Monday, crediting the President with taking concrete steps to resolve issues affecting educators nationwide.

The union leader pointed to recent discussions between teacher representatives and President Ruto at State House as a turning point in their relationship with the government. According to Oyoo, these engagements have yielded tangible results, including the allocation of more than 2 billion shillings toward teacher promotions and new hiring initiatives.

“Educators across the nation appreciate the President’s decision to revise the Collective Bargaining Agreement timeline,” Oyoo said. “Many teachers have remained at the same grade level for extended periods without advancement opportunities.”

He revealed that President Ruto ordered additional funding totaling 1 billion shillings to expand the promotion program, doubling the number of eligible teachers from 25,000 to 50,000. “Given these developments, we believe expressing our gratitude is appropriate. The union extends its thanks to the President,” Oyoo stated while confirming the organization’s political support.

The union’s endorsement follows the government’s ongoing implementation of commitments made during September 2025 negotiations at State House. Among the key promises was the recruitment of 25,000 additional educators by January 2026, which would bring total teacher hiring since 2022 to the pledged 100,000 mark.

Salary increases outlined in the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement also formed part of the government’s commitments. The agreement, valued at 33.75 billion shillings, is being rolled out in two stages. The first phase, which commenced in July 2025, resulted in pay raises ranging from 16 to 32 percent for teaching staff. Furthermore, the Teachers Service Commission agreed to shorten the CBA implementation period from four years to three years to accelerate the process.

Additional benefits promised to educators include access to affordable housing programs and enhanced retirement packages.

However, the path to this endorsement has not been without friction. Prior to Oyoo’s recent statements, teaching unions had criticized the Teachers Service Commission for what they characterized as slow progress in executing the State House agreements.

Akelo Misori, Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers, expressed frustration during a December 2025 media briefing. “The TSC, which should be expediting the benefits we secured through our discussions with the President, has achieved minimal progress,” Misori said at the time.

The political backing from one of Kenya’s largest professional unions represents a significant development as the 2027 electoral cycle approaches, with education policy and teacher welfare likely to feature prominently in campaign discussions.