Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has revealed that the ministry is set to change the recruitment and training of teachers in a bid to accommodate thousands of unemployed teachers in the country.
Speaking during the Annual Conference of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) on Wednesday, June 25, the education boss said that the ministry will reevaluate how teachers' colleges admit students. This will ensure that the colleges admit just the right number of students, depending on the actual demand for teachers in the job market.
According to Ogamba, by doing this, 62,000 trained but currently unemployed teachers will have a chance to be absorbed by the government.
The ministry aims to hire at least 24,000 teachers within the next financial year, which will bring the total number of teachers hired in the past two years to 100,000, according to the CS.
"The CS revealed that the government, in consultation with stakeholders, will critically review pre-service admissions to teacher training colleges to match intakes with the prevailing and projected job market. This will also facilitate the absorption of around 62,000 trained but currently unemployed teachers," the CS said.
According to Ogamba, the ministry is also in the process of reinforcing the infrastructural capacity of all public schools by constructing more classes and laboratories, a move he has affirmed will see the seamless rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Furthermore, the ministry is expected to engage with the national treasury to ensure timely capitation disbursement in schools, to ensure that schools' operations are seamless.
"To support the effective rollout of CBE, the construction of more classes and laboratories will be fast-tracked alongside the hiring of at least 24,000 teachers within the next financial year," the ministry said.
On the other hand, the ministry has directed all educational institutions to immediately adopt electronic procurement, which is the digital process of purchasing goods and services, often through online platforms.
All government institutions are expected to transition to e-Procurement through the (e-GP) portal, which was rolled out in March, by July 1, 2025.
According to the CS, ensuring that schools adopt this process will be critical in restoring transparency in educational institutions during procurement processes.
"The CS urged the 10,940 principals to immediately adopt electronic procurement in line with the government directive intended to promote transparency, minimise corruption and enhance value for money in public institutions’ procurements," the Ministry of Education said in a statement.
