Junior Secondary Schools across the country are grappling with an acute teacher shortage, with the Teachers Service Commission revealing that they are staffed at only half the required levels. This is despite the government hiring more than 76,000 teachers since 2022, leaving millions of learners underserved.
Speaking before the Senate Education Committee in Mombasa, acting TSC Chief Executive Officer Eveleen Mitei described the situation as dire, saying junior schools are “severely starved” of personnel.
“Currently, 83,129 teachers are handling millions of learners in Grades 7, 8 and 9. Junior schools are staffed at only 50 per cent of the required levels,” Mitei said.
She explained that to reduce the gap, the Commission intends to recruit 24,000 intern teachers by January 2026. “To bridge the gap, we plan to recruit 24,000 intern teachers by January 2026,” she said.
Since the 2022/2023 financial year, the state has employed over 56,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms and 20,000 on internship. However, recruitment has not been smooth, with Mitei pointing to challenges in some regions and subjects.
“In undertaking recruitment of teachers in public schools, TSC has encountered challenges, including a lack of expression of interest in advertised posts in the North-Eastern region. Further, lack of teachers in the specific learning areas or subjects across the country, such as Music, Art and Design, may cause a lack of applicants,” she said.
She further noted that poor pay for interns has discouraged applicants. Currently, interns take home about Sh18,070 after deductions from a gross stipend of Sh20,000, including contributions to the Social Health Authority and Housing Levy.
To address the problem, the government has set aside Sh2 billion for the January 2026 recruitment, with priority given to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects.
“We’ve faced challenges, particularly in STEM subjects. But we believe the January recruitment will move us closer to our targets,” Mitei added.
The internship programme has, however, sparked sharp criticism. The Kenya Association of Junior School Teachers chairperson, James Odhiambo, said keeping graduates on internship for years is unfair and exploitative.
“It is inhumane for the state to keep graduate teachers in an internship for years. One year of teaching practice is enough. We are trained, qualified professionals, not trainees,” Odhiambo said.
Odhiambo, who graduated from Kibabii University in 2017 with a degree in Arts Education, currently teaches History and CRE in Kwale. He was hired in February 2023 after working for seven years as a Board of Management teacher. He faulted the internship pay, saying interns bear the same workload as permanent staff but earn far less.
