TSC Raises Alarm Over Teacher Shortage Despite Ruto Promises

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has issued a warning over a looming crisis caused by the teacher deficit, which now stands at 98,261.

TSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Nancy Macharia made this revelation while appearing before the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Macharia said the figure includes deficits in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).

She warned that the gap is expected to widen further in 2026 with the full rollout of Senior Schools under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

According to Macharia, the crisis is occasioned by inadequate budgetary allocation for the promotion and deployment of teachers across the country.

Macharia noted that although the government currently allocates Ksh1 billion annually for teacher promotions, the amount is insufficient to cater to the growing number of eligible educators.

“Honourable Members, while we are grateful for the Ksh1 billion allocated towards teacher promotions, the amount is only sufficient to promote 6,000 teachers out of a teaching force of over 500,000. This continues to demoralize deserving teachers and affect service delivery in our schools,” Macharia stated.

TSC Recruitment & Staffing

Macharia emphasized that teacher staffing is guided by legal frameworks, including the Curriculum-Based Establishment (CBE) and staffing norms developed for primary and junior secondary schools.

“Our staffing policy is driven by curriculum needs and national staffing norms. We have field officers mandated to oversee redeployments to ensure adherence to these guidelines,” she explained.

Further, Macharia highlighted systemic challenges affecting the Commission, including the establishment of new public schools without corresponding funding for staff recruitment, inadequate numbers of teachers trained in CBC subject areas, growing demands in hardship regions, and occasional hostility from host communities.

She urged the Committee to support enhanced funding for teacher management functions, warning that failure to do so could undermine the right to quality education as enshrined in Article 43 of the Constitution.

Also Read: TSC Releases List of 25,252 Promoted Teachers; How to Check

Ruto’s Plan to Hire Teachers

President William Ruto has always reiterated the government’s plans to hire more teachers to address the deficit.

Speaking on June 23, 2024, Ruto said the government was going to employ 20,000 teachers and hire the 46,000 interns on permanent and pensionable terms.

While speaking at Nairobi School on January 12, 2025, Ruto said TSC hired 76,000 as of December 2024.

Ruto said he would ensure the number increases to 110,000 by 2027.

Also Read: How TSC Promotes Teachers: Criteria and Minimum Requirements

He admitted that many schools have gaps in the number of teachers, with most teachers in the majority of the schools across the country being paid by the Board of Management (BOM).

“It is the reason why I made a decision to hire more teachers, and 76,000 teachers have been hired by December 2024. I intend to hire another 40,000 teachers to make it 110,000 teachers by 2027,” Ruto said.

Besides, the government’s budgetary documents indicate that Ruto’s administration plans to hire 120000 teachers in the next three financial years starting July 2027.

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