MPs seek Sh7.3bn to hire intern teachers as 40,000 targeted for recruitment by end of 2026

The National Assembly Education Committee has recommended allocating Sh7.3 billion to absorb 20,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable positions starting in July.

The recommendation comes amid government plans to recruit 40,000 additional teachers by the end of 2026 in a bid to reduce the widening teacher-student ratio in public schools.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok announced that 24,000 teachers would be recruited by the end of this year, with a further 16,000 expected to be hired from next year.

“This year, the government is going to employ 24,000 teachers to get into the payroll of the Teachers Service Commission. Right now, the government has employed 76,000 teachers. We have 24,000 to make it 100,000, which we are going to make happen, and the remaining 16,000 will be hired next year,” Bitok said during the 60th anniversary celebrations of Baringo High School.

He reiterated that the recruitment drive is part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s five-year pledge to employ 116,000 teachers by 2027.

The push by the Education Committee comes after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) told Parliament that no funds had been set aside to absorb the 20,000 intern teachers currently serving on one-year contracts from January 2025.

“The committee urges the Budget and Appropriations Committee to provide Sh7.3 billion to ensure that the current intern teachers are absorbed once their internships end later this year,” the committee said in its report on the 2025/26 budget estimates to the BAC.

Severe teacher shortage

The TSC had in April flagged a severe teacher shortage across the country, warning of a deficit that is projected to worsen with the implementation of senior secondary schools in 2026.

Appearing before the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, TSC CEO Nancy Macharia revealed that the country is short of 98,261 teachers, including those needed in junior secondary school.

“The current shortfall, including junior secondary school educators, stands at 98,261,” she said.

In a separate appearance before Parliament, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba disclosed that a total of 343,485 trained teachers have yet to be absorbed into the public education system.

The figure includes 84,510 post-primary teachers, 124,061 primary school teachers, and 134,914 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers.

“An analysis of the teacher registry shows that there are 343,485 registered teachers who are not employed by the Teachers Service Commission,” Ogamba said.

He also noted that the commission had yet to establish the exact number of ECDE teachers employed by county governments.

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“The commission has not obtained data on how many ECDE teachers have been employed by county governments and is in the process of ascertaining this data by county,” he added.

Ogamba explained that the recruitment of qualified teachers in the public sector depends on budgetary allocations, availability of funds, and vacancies in authorised establishments.

“The commission actively monitors teacher shortages across schools and ensures the immediate replacement of teachers who leave, ensuring continuity in curriculum delivery,” he said.

“In line with the government’s goal of equipping graduates with practical skills, the commission engages unemployed teachers through an internship programme,” he added.