Teacher shortage persists in remote counties despite record recruitment drive
Ogamba said that while the government has hired 76,000 teachers in recent years and plans to recruit an additional 24,000 by December 2025, some regions remain critically understaffed.
Government efforts to strengthen education in Kenya’s remote regions face a persistent hurdle as teachers continue to avoid postings in hardship areas like Kilifi.
Despite record recruitment numbers, schools in these counties are struggling to fill essential teaching positions due to security and living challenges.
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Speaking on Tuesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said that while the government has hired 76,000 teachers in recent years and plans to recruit an additional 24,000 by December 2025, some regions remain critically understaffed. He noted that many teachers simply refuse to take assignments in certain areas.
“In fact, there are instances where teachers do not even apply to be employed to come into this particular area,” he said.
Ogamba explained that the government is exploring the option of integrating teachers currently employed under Boards of Management (BOMs) into the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure schools in hardship counties have adequate staffing.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts to rationalise teacher deployment to balance teacher numbers across all counties.
The shortage coincides with broader reforms in junior school education, which Ogamba says aim to expand access to quality learning throughout the country.
“Where we find that perhaps certain teachers are more in one area and less in another, we can deploy and ensure that we have covered that shortfall,” he added.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has underscored the scale of the current recruitment drive, describing it as the largest in Kenya’s history.
Speaking in Nyeri County in August, he noted that while prior governments employed roughly 5,000 teachers annually, the current administration has already hired 76,000, with the total expected to reach 100,000 by December, representing nearly a third of all teachers recruited since independence.
Security concerns have also been linked to the shortage. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced plans to arm chiefs and assistant chiefs in terror-prone areas such as Mandera before the end of 2025.
Some will receive training in firearm use, while others will be issued weapons immediately.
Murkomen said these measures are part of broader security initiatives aimed at protecting administrators and communities from extremist threats.
The government is also strengthening border security with Ethiopia and Somalia through patrols, community engagement, and recruitment of National Police Reservists to maintain peace and safety in affected regions.
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