The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has received a fresh court order that allows it to continue with the teacher internship programme.
The order from the Supreme Court also suspends an earlier Court of Appeal ruling which declared the programme null and void.
The new ruling now forces the striking junior school teachers to abandon their protests and rush back to class to protect their jobs.
The internship programme launched in 2019 has seen TSC address teacher shortages in schools while using little resources.
TSC currently has a total of 44,000 junior school teachers serving on internship terms.
The teachers had vowed to proceed with the strike despite TSC assurance that they will be confirmed upon securing funds.
“Following the Court’s judgment delivered on 27th February 2026, the Commission is actively pursuing the necessary budgetary provisions to facilitate the employment of the 44,000 serving teacher interns on permanent and pensionable terms,” TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei had said in a press statement.
“In this regard, the Commission appeals to teacher interns to grant the Government adequate time to mobilize the required resources to support their transition to permanent and pensionable employment”.
The Commission had also threatened to fire the striking teachers after directing Heads of Institutions (HOI’s) to take daily attendance and report absenteesm.
The teachers strike was a reaction to the Court of Appeal ruling which declared the TSC internship programme null and void.
TSC employed 20,000 intern teachers in January 2025. The teachers who were initially employed on a one year internship contract had their contracts extended for another one year running from 1st January to 31st December 2026.
The Commission then employed additional 24,000 junior school intern teachers and posted them to schools this January to start their one year internship contract.
The Court of Appeal had declared the TSC internship programme illegal, saying that can only be done to trainee teachers.
It argued that the teachers termed as ‘intern’ are fully trained and registered teachers and can only be employed as such.
However the ruling is now suspended pending hearing. TSC is currently seeking sh 7.2 billion budget for confirming 20,000 junior school intern teachers by January 2027, leaving the fate of the remaining 24,000 in limbo.
President William Ruto has previously stated that all government interns including those in TSC must undergo a two year internship process before they can be employed on pnp.