President William Ruto has announced that the government will hire 20,000 intern teachers starting January 2026 in an effort to reduce the teacher shortage in the country.
Speaking during the Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on Thursday, May 1, Ruto said that Ksh 2.4 billion has already been set aside for the teacher internship recruitment exercise.
“On education, we are closing the teacher shortage gap of 116,000 that existed in 2022. We have recruited over 76,000 teachers in the last two years.
"We have set aside Ksh 2.4 billion to hire an additional 20,000 intern teachers with effect from January 2026,” he said.
The President also shared that the government is investing Ksh 1.6 billion to be used for training teachers and Ksh 1 billion for their promotion.
“Further, the government has allocated Ksh 1.6 billion for capacity building for teachers and another Ksh 1 billion for the promotion of teachers.
"This investment has improved student-teacher ratios, enhanced literacy and numeracy, and generated stable employment in communities across the country,” he added.
President Ruto also emphasised that this is to improve the education sector and to ensure the quality of learning in Kenya is improved.
The teachers’ internship program will aim to equip new teachers with the necessary competencies for their teaching careers.
The interns will then be assigned to learning institutions after completion of training, with a monthly stipend provided.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has expressed concern about the ongoing teacher shortage in the country.
The commission revealed that Kenya is currently facing a deficit of teachers, a number that is expected to rise with the implementation of senior secondary schools in 2026.
