TSC Seeks Sh70 Billion to Recruit 98,461 Teachers.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has requested Sh70 billion to recruit 98,461 teachers for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and high schools to alleviate the current staffing crisis. The Senate was informed of this need during a session with the Senate National Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee.
TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia told the committee that if the commission were allocated Sh70 billion, it would be able to hire the required number of teachers across all schools.
She indicated that Junior Secondary Schools currently face a deficit of 72,442 teachers, while the traditional secondary schools under the 8-4-4 curriculum are short of 26,039 teachers. She emphasized that this funding would bridge the gap and improve learning quality nationwide.
Macharia explained that the commission had made significant strides in recruitment efforts. TSC recruited 9,000 teachers during the 2022/23 financial year and added 39,550 more in the 2024/25 cycle.
Furthermore, 20,000 intern teachers joined the service in January. This brought the total target to 68,550 positions, of which 68,313 teachers have already been deployed. The remaining 237 positions went unfilled due to a lack of applicants.
The TSC boss reported that the unfilled posts included 56 permanent and pensionable vacancies in Mandera County, while intern positions included 114 in Mandera, 34 in Marsabit, and 33 in Wajir. She attributed the unfilled positions to the limited interest from applicants in those regions.
Senators raised concerns about allegations that some politicians were distributing employment letters during funerals. Senator Mohammed Chute and Senator Okiya Omtatah questioned how such recruits were integrated into the TSC system.
In response, Macharia denied that the commission had failed in its mandate and insisted that TSC follows strict recruitment policies and procedures designed to uphold transparency and professionalism. Although she claimed to have no direct knowledge of the incidents, she acknowledged seeing related reports in the media.
TSC Seeks Sh70 Billion to Recruit 98,461 Teachers.
