Thousands of teachers across Kenya were thrown into confusion this week after both the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) system suddenly went offline.
The simultaneous outage has disrupted critical school operations such as uploading assessment scores, completing lesson observations, and filing teacher appraisals. For many educators, the downtime couldn’t have come at a worse time — the end of term, when digital submissions are most crucial.
As of Thursday morning, neither KNEC nor TSC had issued an official statement explaining the cause of the outage or when services would resume. The silence has sparked widespread speculation among teachers and education stakeholders.
Teachers Frustrated by the Silence
Reports from various counties reveal deep frustration among teachers who depend on these systems for compliance and career progression.
“I’ve tried logging into the TSC TPad system since Tuesday, but it keeps showing an error,” said a teacher from Kisii County. “It’s term-end, and our appraisal deadlines are approaching. This is causing unnecessary stress.”
Another teacher from Machakos confirmed that the KNEC CBA portal has also been unreachable, preventing schools from uploading Grade 3, 4, 5, and 7 assessment results. “We’ve been told to complete CBA uploads this week, yet the system is completely down. We’re stuck.”
The combined failure of both portals has triggered anxiety among educators who depend on these platforms to meet official deadlines and appraisal standards.
Impact on Schools Nationwide
The outage has disrupted daily routines in both primary and junior schools.
For teachers, the TPAD portal is essential for:
- Uploading lesson observations
- Completing termly appraisals
- Tracking personal performance targets
- Meeting compliance requirements
For schools, the KNEC CBA portal supports:
- Uploading learners’ assessment scores
- Accessing performance reports
- Managing school-level assessment records
Several headteachers say the downtime has made it impossible to finalize term reports. Some county education officers have advised teachers to document all appraisal and assessment work manually until the portals are restored.
If you missed our earlier report on TSC’s latest digital upgrades, read this related article: TSC Announces TPAD Overhaul, New Teaching Standards, and TPAD3 Portal Update.
Possible Technical Glitch or System Overload?
Although official communication remains absent, some ICT officers suspect that the crash may be due to server overload as thousands of teachers attempted to log in simultaneously near the term deadline.
“The system might have experienced excessive traffic as everyone tried to update appraisals before closure,” noted an ICT teacher in Nairobi.
However, the coincidence of both TSC and KNEC portals crashing at the same time has raised concerns. Educators are now calling for a unified ICT coordination framework to ensure service reliability across education systems.
No Official Communication Yet
Attempts by KenyanTeachers.com to reach officials from the TSC ICT Department and KNEC’s CBA Directorate were unsuccessful. Both websites continued to display “Service Unavailable” messages through Thursday afternoon.
Teachers have since turned to social media and WhatsApp groups to seek updates, but so far, there’s no verified statement. Some educators fear that incomplete uploads could affect teacher promotions and confirmations, which are linked to TPAD scores.
For context, see our guide on portal challenges and status codes here: TSC Portal Status Codes 2025 — What Each Message Means.
Past Incidents and Digital Reliability
This isn’t the first time teachers have faced online disruptions. In 2023, the TPAD system crashed twice during the appraisal deadline week, forcing the Commission to extend timelines. Similarly, in 2022, KNEC’s CBA portal went offline during Grade 6 submissions.
Stakeholders have since questioned the reliability of Kenya’s education ICT infrastructure, given the growing dependence on online platforms for both teaching and evaluation.
These outages highlight the urgent need for stronger cloud infrastructure, regular maintenance, and public communication whenever technical downtimes occur.
Teachers Call for Clear Communication
Teachers across the country are demanding better communication from TSC and KNEC during outages.
“Whenever portals go down, we should get an official message or SMS alert,” said a Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher from Bungoma. “We rely on these systems to perform core duties, and silence only fuels confusion.”
Another teacher emphasized that digital transformation must go hand in hand with system stability and transparency. “The shift to online systems is welcome, but Kenya needs platforms that can handle national data without collapsing under pressure.”
The Ministry of Education’s Expected Response
The education sector is now waiting for a joint statement from the Ministry of Education, TSC, and KNEC to explain the outage and guide schools on next steps.
Sources at Jogoo House indicate that the issue may have been forwarded to the Ministry’s ICT Directorate, which oversees the digital infrastructure for educational institutions.
Still, as of publication, no official circular, memo, or communication had been released — leaving thousands of teachers to speculate on when normalcy will return.
For more on how teachers are adjusting to digital shifts, see our earlier feature: Hakuna Stress: More Time in Class as Teachers Go Digital.
What Teachers Should Do
Until both portals are back online, teachers are advised to maintain manual records to prevent data loss or delays.
| Task | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| Lesson Observation | Record manually in hard copy and keep signed forms for later upload. |
| TPad Appraisal | Complete offline templates or Excel sheets for future data entry. |
| CBA Assessment Uploads | Retain soft copies of scores and reports ready for upload once the system resumes. |
| Communication | Confirm updates only through official TSC or KNEC channels — not social media rumors. |
County education officers are expected to issue further guidance once systems resume full functionality.
Bottom Line
The nationwide crash of the TSC TPAD and KNEC CBA portals has once again exposed weaknesses in Kenya’s education ICT infrastructure. While teachers have embraced digital platforms for accountability and performance management, repeated system failures without proper communication risk eroding trust.
Teachers are hopeful that both institutions will act swiftly to restore services and issue clear public updates. The situation underscores the importance of reliable digital systems in ensuring smooth educational operations and fair teacher appraisals.
