MPs push for Sh7.3bn to hire 20,000 intern teachers by July

The National Assembly Education Committee has recommended allocating Sh7.3 billion to absorb 20,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms from July this year.

The committee’s proposal is part of government plans to recruit 40,000 more teachers by the end of 2026 to address the growing shortage in public schools.

According to Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, 24,000 teachers will be employed this year, with 16,000 more expected to be hired 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 said the recruitment drive is in line with the Kenya Kwanza administration’s five-year plan to employ 116,000 teachers by 2027.

The Education Committee’s recommendation follows a submission by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which told Parliament that no funds had been allocated to absorb the 20,000 intern teachers currently serving on one-year contracts starting 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.

In April, the TSC warned of a worsening teacher shortage, citing a countrywide deficit that is likely to grow once senior secondary schools are rolled out in 2026.

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

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

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba also told lawmakers that 343,485 trained teachers have not yet been employed in 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 added that the commission is still collecting data on how many ECDE teachers have been employed by county governments.

“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 said recruitment depends on funding, available vacancies, and budget approvals.

“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.