The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has started to send invitation messages to teachers who applied for 24,000 junior school intern teaching jobs.
The Commission had advertised the slots in September but later paused the recruitment exercise after it clashed with national exams and assessments schedule.
Unemployed teachers had applied and were waiting to be invited for document verification.
TSC will carry out document verification exercise from 3rd to 11th December, 2025. Already those shortlisted have been sent with SMS to attend for the interviews.
Both President William Ruto and Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba have previously said that the teachers will be posted to schools early January.
TSC internship is a gateway to permanent and pensionable employment. TSC awards 50 marks to teachers who serve on internship terms during pnp recruitment.
CS Ogamba said this recruitment will push the number of teachers hired over the past three years to 100,000, marking a major milestone in the government’s education reforms.
“Seventy-six thousand teachers have already been employed, and 24,000 more will be employed by January 2026,” he said.
The document verification exercise will culminate to signing of TSC internship contracts which will then be followed by deployment to junior schools.
However in a recent interview with journalists, President Ruto said all intern teachers will have to serve for two years before they can be converted to permanent employment.
TSC pays the intern teachers a monthly stipend of sh. 20,000 but they receive a net of sh. 17,000 after SHIF, Housing Levy and NSSF statutory deductions.
Currently there are 20,000 JSS intern teachers on TSC payroll. There contracts which started on 1st January ends on 31st December.
TSC is planning to renew their contract for another one year inline with the Kenya Kwanza policy.
More recruitment of JSS teachers will be done next year. CS Ogamba said the recruitment will be made next year to equip junior schools with enough teachers.
“An additional 16,000 will follow later in the year, as we continue bridging the teacher shortage that has challenged our education system for years.”
TSC Chair Jamleck Muturi, hailed the recruitment process for the 24,000 JSS intern teachers saying it has been digitized to enhance efficiency and transparency.
“Registration of teachers has been automated, and recruitment is now fully online,” Dr. Muturi said. “By January, the 24,000 teachers will be in class.”
The new employment drive comes as the Ministry of Education and the TSC continue implementing reforms aimed at improving teacher capacity, digital integration, and curriculum delivery in line with Kenya’s education transformation agenda.
TSC received over a hundred thousands applications after it advertised the 24,000 junior school teaching slots.
Their employment is on a one year internship basis starting from 1st January to 31st December 2026.
However TSC scoresheet shows priority will be given to unemployed teachers with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, Technical subjects then Languages respectively.
Teachers with one Science subject plus any other subject (Biology/…,Chemistry/…, Physics/ ….,) combinations have been awarded 65 marks.
Mathematics with any none science subject combinations have been awarded 55 marks.
Those with one technical/ or Creative Arts Subject (Home science/…, Computer studies/…., Business studies/…, Music/…, Drawing & design/…, Art & design/…, woodwork/…, Electricity/…, Aviation technology/…, Electronics/…..Building & construction/…, Metalwork/…, Power mechanics/…. PE/…) have been awarded 40 marks.
Language teachers with one language and any other subject (French/…, English/…, Kiswahili/…, German/…, Arabic/…, Mandarin/……) have been awarded 25 marks.
However Art teachers, those with one Art and any subject combinations e.g. History/…, CRE/…, Geography/…, IRE/., HRE/…Life Skills/… have suffered a blow. TSC has awarded only 5 marks.
This has sparked protests with the Art teachers terming the scoresheet discriminatory.
The Commission has previously warned that there is dire shortage of science teachers in the country and will focus to address such.
Shortlisted teachers shall be required to present originals and clear photocopies of the following documents during verification exercise;
1) National identification card (ID)
2) Certificate of Registration as a teacher
3) Diploma or Degree certificate and official transcript
4) KCSE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams)
5) KCPE certificate or its equivalent (include certificates for attempts if one re-sat exams)
6) Primary and secondary school leaving certificates and other relevant testimonials
7) National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Card (where applicable)
8) An affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act. Cap 15 of the Laws of Kenya to explain the variance in names
9) Letter of certification of results by KNEC (where applicable)