TSC seeks Sh70bn to hire 98,000 teachers
TSC faces a shortage of nearly 100,000 educators, requiring Sh70 billion to hire more.
The Teachers Service Commission has recruited over 68,000 teachers for junior secondary schools but says it still faces a shortage of nearly 100,000 educators, requiring Sh70 billion to hire more.
TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia told the Senate National Cohesion Committee that despite recent recruitment efforts, the demand for teachers remains very high in both junior and high schools.
"If we were to receive Sh70 billion, we could address the teacher shortages optimally," Macharia said.
She gave a breakdown of the current shortage, saying 72,442 teachers are needed in Junior Secondary Schools and 26,039 in high schools under the 8-4-4 system.
To date, the commission has filled 68,313 Junior Secondary School positions on permanent and pensionable terms.
In the last three years, TSC hired 9,000 teachers in 2022-23, 39,550 in the 2024-25 financial year, and recruited 20,000 interns who started in January 2025.
Of the planned 68,550 teacher positions, only 237 remain vacant due to a lack of applicants, mostly in hardship areas such as Mandera, Marsabit, and Wajir.
Macharia emphasized that recruitment is done at the subcounty level to give all Kenyans equal employment opportunities.
She also shared data on the ethnic distribution of recruited teachers, noting that the Kalenjin community has the highest number with 10,769 teachers, followed by Luhyas, Kamba, Kikuyu, Luo, and others.
The commission is keen to maintain transparency and professionalism in recruitment despite allegations of political interference.
"We did not issue recruitment letters to any politician. Our recruitment is conducted strictly at the subcounty level, as per TSC guidelines," Macharia told senators.
The CEO rejected claims that politicians had taken over the hiring process, even amid accusations that some teachers were hired at funerals through political influence.
Senators pressed her on the matter, but Macharia assured them that TSC followed its policies fully.
She explained that teacher placement is based on the number of students per class and existing shortages to ensure fair distribution across regions.
