The government is under pressure to ensure a total of 20,000 junior school intern teachers are converted to permanent and pensionable (pnp) terms.
The teachers who were recruited in November and posted to schools in January this year are on a one year internship contract which expires in December.
Politicians and activists have joined the intern teachers to push for their confirmation by TSC.
Nairobi Senator, Edwin Sifuna, is the latest to express shock on the salaries the teachers earn each month.
“Junior secondary school teachers are earning a full time salary of Ksh. 17,000. Surviving in this city on Ksh, 17,000 is almost a miracle,” said Sifuna.
Another activist, Maverick Aoko, faulted the government for failing to allocate funds in the 2025/2026 budget to confirm the teachers.
She called on government to confirm the teachers by December. Education blogger, Peter Amunga, also threw his weight on the matter calling for start of confirmation exercise.
The push comes after government top officials sent mixed signals on the subject creating uncertainty on fate of the teachers who are eyeing permanent employment.
Recently TSC officials hinted of contract renewal for the teachers. Their contract which started on 1st January ends on 31st December 2025.
The officials which include Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) and Sub County Directors indicated that the teachers will have their internship contracts renewed for another one year.
Some of them went ahead to list requirements the teachers should have ahead of renewal exercise.
The sentiments followed a similar pattern earlier by Education CS Julius Ogamba.
The CS while speaking during a Citizen TV’s ‘Elimu Mashinani’ segment held in Kilifi on September 23, 2025, said the teachers will be confirmed after a year or two sparking panic among the junior school intern teachers.
However Treasury CS John Mbadi has several times assured the teachers saying the government will confirm them on pnp terms come January 2026.
Mbadi said the government will set aside a sh. 54 billion budget to confirm the teachers to pnp early next year.
In 2024 a total of 39,550 junior school teachers had to push the government to confirm them to pnp terms after carrying out countrywide strike.
TSC had on its payroll a total of 46,000 teachers who were then serving on internship terms.
These were 21,550 junior school and 4,000 primary school intern teachers who were recruited in February 2023.
450 secondary school intern teachers recruited in April 2023. 18,000 junior school and 2,000 primary school intern teachers recruited in September 2023.
Some of the interns had renewed their contract and had served for two years but still confirmation was not on sight.
However through their national strike the teachers forced the government to convert them to pnp.
TSC absorbed them to pnp payroll in January 2025. After serving for six months as a requirement for probation the teachers payslips have now changed from prob. (probation) to pnp.
Besides better salaries the teachers also enjoy a comprehensive medical cover, entitlement to leaves and personal loans among other benefits.
The Education CS also said additional 16,000 junior school intern teachers will be recruited in 2026.
Currently TSC is finalizing recruitment of 24,000 junior school intern teachers.
TSC will start document verification exercise for the teachers in December.
The teachers will be posted to schools in January to support the Competency Based Education (CBE).