The teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced the recruitment of 5,000 new teachers to reduce the shortage of teaching staff in the country.
TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia in a statement advised viable candidates to submit their applications by July 31.
The applicants should be 45 years old or younger, as well as having attained the minimum academic qualifications submitted in the announcement.
Applicants have been requested to send their applications to the TSC secretary, board of management of the institution and submit a copy of the application to the TSC County director.
According to The Star, the commission will only be working with the county directors and as such, individual applications to TSC will not be considered.
Out of the 5,000 slots advertised, 2,338 are for secondary school teachers while 2,662 are for primary school teachers.
Last year, the same number of teachers were recruited by the government with 2,479 going to primary schools and 2,521 going to secondary schools, The Nation reports.
This years exercise is estimated to cost Ksh 2.3 Billion which was allocated to TSC by the government, alongside a further Ksh. 2.2 Billion for promotion of teachers.
According to a report by The Standard, the teachers will be distributed in different counties as per the shortages.
Consequently, Nyeri, Nyamira, Murang'a, Kisii and Kirinyaga counties have each been allocated 20 slots for primary school teachers, Migori 96, Narok 100 and Kitui 108 slots for the same.
This year's winner is Kakamega county which is set to receive 118 primary school teachers.
Meru county on the other hand has the highest allocation of secondary school teachers at 140 slots, followed by Kakamega with 128 and Bungoma with 120.
Muranga gets 118 slots, Makueni 115, Kitui 107, Nakuru 96 while Samburu and Tana River counties get at least 9 slots each.
This year's recruitment comes in the wake of increased controversies facing the education sector as teachers have been accused countless times of having taken advantage of students and sexually abusing them.
Barely two months ago, the commission had to fire a group of teachers who have been found guilty of the offence, although the problem is far from being solved.
See: 96 Teachers Caught Having Sexual Relations With Students Banned From Teaching
The employment of 5,000 teachers also comes as a little more than a drop in the ocean as the country will still be facing a shortage of 75, 000 more since at the moment the shortage of teachers in Kenya stands at 80,000.
