President William Ruto has announced the hiring of more than 20,000 teachers within the next two months, as part of ongoing efforts to address the teacher shortage across the country.
Ruto announced during the 13th State of the Nation Address, delivered on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at a special sitting of Parliament.
Since assuming office, the Head of State noted, the education sector has faced multiple challenges, including a strained Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) transition, chronic teacher shortages, overstretched university infrastructure, and universities nearing insolvency.
While highlighting progress within the basic education sector, the Head of State said that his administration has so far hired 76,000 teachers to address the shortage, adding that an additional 24,000 will be hired by January 2026.
“We then tackled the teachers’ crisis head-on. We have hired 76,000 teachers, with 24,000 more expected to be hired by January next year. That will translate to 100,000 teachers in three years, an achievement unmatched in the history of our country” Ruto said.
Ruto highlights progress in education sector
He highlighted that nearly 500,000 students in higher learning institutions have already benefitted from the student-centred funding model.
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Further, Ruto said that 23,000 new classrooms along with 1,600 laboratories are under construction to ease congestion and support CBC.
“Through the student-centred funding model, scholarships and loans now follow need and merit, placing the learner at the centre. Nearly 500,000 students have already benefitted from this model. Together with the NG-CDF, we have delivered 23,000 new classrooms and 1,600 laboratories are under construction easing congestion and giving CBC the dignified facilities it requires,” he noted.
Beyond education, President Ruto highlighted the strengthening Kenyan economy and growing investor confidence.
He cited strong performance at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), a rise in GDP, and the registration of over 300 new businesses, including five foreign companies in the last 36 months.
Economy
Ruto reported that Kenya’s GDP has increased from $115 billion to $136 billion, moving the country from the eighth to the sixth-largest economy in Africa, according to the IMF.
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He also noted that Kenya’s external debt stands at over $12 billion, the highest in independent Kenya, following fiscal and economic reforms.
International financial institutions, including Citigroup, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and Goldman Sachs, project that Kenya’s economy will expand by 5 to 5.8 percent in 2026, supported by solid fundamentals, lower credit costs, rising exports, and a stable economic environment.
“This confidence is rooted in solid fundamentals, lower credit costs, rising exports, and a stable economic environment. It has upgraded Kenya to a B+, our fastest upward revision in many years, boosting international confidence,” Ruto said.
The President further highlighted fiscal discipline measures, which he highlighted have helped reduce inflation from 9.6% in 2022 to 4.6% last month, and stabilised the exchange rate at 129 shillings to the US dollar for nearly two years.
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