Hundreds of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers in Murang’a County poured into the streets this week, demanding that the government confirm them on permanent and pensionable terms before schools reopen in January 2026.
The teachers part of nearly 20,000 JSS tutors hired on internship in November last year were posted to schools in January 2025. But with their one-year contracts expiring in December, they say they’ve been left in limbo, unsure if they’ll still have jobs come the new school term.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the teachers voiced frustration over what they called “silence and neglect” from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Many said they have waited for months for official communication on their fate, but none has come.
“We have worked hard to support the rollout of JSS, yet we’re being treated as disposable,” one teacher lamented. “We just want job security like everyone else.”
The teachers are currently earning a monthly stipend of Ksh17,000, which they say barely covers rent, food, or transport amid the rising cost of living.
Local leaders, union officials, and civil society groups joined the protests, accusing the government of overlooking the plight of teachers who have been central to implementing the new curriculum.
They also faulted the 2025/2026 budget for failing to set aside funds to confirm the interns, saying the omission undermines efforts to stabilise the education sector.
“You cannot expect quality education when the people teaching our children are uncertain about their own future,” said one local union leader.
Acting TSC Chief Executive Eveleen Mitei, during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations in October, had pledged that the government was working to address teacher shortages, but she did not provide a specific plan for interns.
President William Ruto and Education CS Julius Ogamba have also promised to hire 24,000 new teachers by January 2026 but it remains unclear how many of those positions will go to JSS educators currently on contract.
Meanwhile, classrooms across the country continue to struggle with high student-to-teacher ratios, especially in rural areas, leaving teachers anxious that the reforms they helped start could leave them behind.
