President William Ruto has directed the recruitment of 600 teachers from Mandera County in a move aimed at solving the long-standing teacher shortage in the region.
Speaking in Mandera on Thursday during the issuance of Nyota funds to local youth, the President said learning in northern Kenya has been badly affected by insecurity, which has pushed many teachers from other parts of the country to seek transfers.
Ruto questioned why most teachers in the region come from far areas like Kisumu, Eldoret, Siaya, Central Kenya and the Coast, yet local people can also be trained and employed.
“Why shouldn’t we have teachers from northern Kenya?” the President asked.
He explained that whenever there are security challenges, teachers from outside Mandera often leave, forcing schools to close or disrupt learning. According to him, hiring teachers from the local community will help keep schools running even during difficult times.
The President described the move as part of affirmative action to support marginalised regions.
“As a matter of affirmative action, for all the teachers who left here to be replaced, I have said we are hiring here in Mandera another 600 teachers to make sure they take charge of education in our primary and secondary schools,” Ruto said.
He added that teachers born and raised in the area are more likely to stay and support learners despite security concerns.
“Now we will have teachers who were born here. Even if there are problems, they will stay here to make sure your children are taught,” he said.
The directive comes weeks after a teacher was killed in January 2026 in an attack linked to suspected Al-Shabaab militants, an incident that raised fear among teachers working in Mandera. Following the killing, several teachers reportedly asked to be transferred, saying they feared for their safety.
President Ruto also reminded residents that the government had earlier promised to recruit 24,000 more teachers by the start of 2026. He said the Mandera plan is part of the wider effort to strengthen the education sector, noting that over 100,000 teachers have been hired since he took office in 2022.
