TSC to recruit 20,000 teachers at a cost of Sh2.4 billion: President Ruto Announces

TSC to recruit 20,000 teachers at a cost of Sh2.4 billion: President Ruto Announces

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will recruit a total of 20,000 teachers at a cost of Sh2.4 billion. This has been revealed by President William Ruto.

The President says the government has made significant progress in addressing the long-standing teacher shortage, with an additional 20,000 tutors to be hired in January 2026.

Speaking at the 2025 Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens on May 1, 2025, Ruto said his administration has reduced the teacher shortage gap, which stood at 116,000 in 2022, by hiring over 76,000 teachers in the last two years.

“We have set aside Sh2.4 billion to hire an additional 20,000 intern teachers starting January 2026,” the president stated.

The President at the same time reported that his government has allocated Sh1.6 billion for teacher capacity building and another Sh1 billion specifically for the promotion of teachers.

“These investments have improved student-teacher ratios, enhanced literacy and numeracy outcomes, and created stable employment in communities across the country,” Ruto emphasised.

In January 2025, the government hired 46,000 teachers who were working as interns on permanent terms. Another 20,000 more teachers were recruited as interns.

The country’s education system has long struggled with overcrowded classrooms, under-resourced schools, and high pupil-teacher ratios, especially in rural and marginalised areas.

According to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the country had a shortage of over 100,000 teachers in both primary and secondary schools as of 2022, putting immense pressure on the existing workforce.

Ruto’s administration made addressing this shortage one of its key priorities, promising not only to hire more teachers but also to improve their welfare and working conditions.

The president’s latest announcement underscores a broader push to strengthen the quality of education, which has been highlighted as a cornerstone of Kenya’s Vision 2030 development blueprint.

The recruitment drive and investments in training and promotions are also seen as part of efforts to meet the demands of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which requires more personalised teaching and continuous assessment.

Ruto reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting teachers, calling them “essential drivers” of national development and key to ensuring that every Kenyan child receives quality education.