TSC Asks Unemployed Teachers to Update Their Data Urgently

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has notified unemployed teachers to urgently update their records by March 16, 2026.

In a statement on March 4, the commission confirmed that it is in the process of updating the existing data for registered teachers who are not currently employed by TSC.

“The Teachers Service Commission is in the process of updating the existing data for registered teachers who are not currently employed by TSC,” read the statement in part.

How to Submit Details

According to the body, targeted teachers are required to submit their details online through the commission’s website under the “Careers” section by March 16, 2026, at midnight.

Alternatively, teachers can update their profiles directly at the TSC Teacher Profile.

TSC further advised that this exercise is solely for data updating purposes and does not constitute a recruitment advertisement.

Also Read: 34 Headteachers Face the Sack as Nearly One Million Ghost Learners are Exposed

“Disclaimer: This is a data update exercise, not a recruitment advertisement,” it stated.

Urgent Data Update Process for Unemployed Teachers

In their update, the commission stated that the data update exercise is being conducted to support effective teacher workforce planning.

The exercise will help determine the demand and supply of qualified teachers, guiding recruitment and related education policies.

“This exercise is purely for effective teacher workforce planning as well as establishing the demand and supply of qualified teachers to inform teacher recruitment and related policies,” it stated.

Further, the commission confirmed to the parties that all updated information will be processed and stored in line with the Data Protection Act and TSC’s Privacy Notice.

TSC Reveals Why It Is Not Hiring Primary School Teachers

The move came after Members of Parliament raised concerns over the lack of recruitment plans for primary school teachers, questioning why the Teachers Service Commission had not initiated hiring at the lower levels.

Also Read: Breakdown of Monthly NSSF Deductions for Kenyan Teachers As Per Job Group

Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education on February 19, Acting TSC CEO Evelyn Mitei explained that the collapse of the 8-4-4 system had created a surplus of primary school teachers even as shortages persisted in Junior and Senior Schools.

“With the transition of learners to Junior Secondary, there is reduced demand at the primary level, but new pathways in upper levels require additional teachers,” she said.

However, she revealed that the Commission plans to recruit 16,000 additional teachers for Junior and Senior Schools in the coming financial year at a cost of KSh1.9 billion, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the teacher shortage that currently stands at about 116,000 nationwide.

“In the past three years, we have recruited 100,000 teachers. The 2026/27 plan continues this trajectory as we address shortages created by the Competency-Based Curriculum,” she added.

Teacher Unemployment in Kenya

According to the World Bank data, by 2024, the total number of TSC‑employees had reached roughly around 600,000 – 620,000, including non-teaching staff; the core classroom‑teacher head‑count is a bit lower and still below the 460,000 – 480,000 that would be needed for a 1:35 – 1:32 ratio.

Additionally, a 2025 report by IEA-Kenya indicates that the 2025–2026 recruitment plans (76,000–100,000 hires cumulatively, plus 2025/26 intern cohorts) are meant to push Kenya closer to that 600,000‑teacher target by 2026.

Independent analyses (IEA‑type work) stress that not all 76,000–100,000 “hired” are new classroom‑teachers; many are promotions and interns, so thousands of trained graduates remain jobless even as shortages persist.

In 2025, TSC signalled that tens of thousands of new teachers continue to exit pre-service training annually, with the system being pushed to increase internship capacity (20,000 interns in 2024/25 and another 20,000 in 2025/26) to bridge the gap between graduation and absorption.

Teacher Shortage and Employment under Ruto

TSC projects that 58,590 additional teachers will be needed for Grade 10 alone in 2026 as more than 1 million learners transition into senior‑school under the CBC‑CBE framework.

The worst‑hit areas are STEM, specialised technical, and Arts & Sports subjects, where graduates are few or misaligned with CBE‑pathway needs.

In May 2025, President Ruto announced that the state would hire 20,000 teachers starting January 2026, budgeting KSh 2.4 billion for this tranche.

The education‑principal‑secretary reiterated that the government has already hired about 76,000 teachers since 2022 and is on track to hit a total of 100,000 teachers hired by January 2026, including promotions and interns.

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