Junior Secondary School teachers from Nairobi County demonstrate outside the Teachers Service Commission offices on May 13, 2024, demanding their employment on permanent and pensionable terms.
Hopes of automatic tenure for 46,000 probationary teachers have been dashed after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) advertised vacancies for the very positions they currently hold, forcing them to reapply.
In a notice, the TSC called for applications for 6,000 new vacancies in primary schools, 39,550 in junior secondary schools and 450 in senior secondary schools. The notice came as a shock to the contract teachers, who had all along been promised automatic absorption, some of whom have been serving since the beginning of last year.
Teachers now have until October 7, 2024, to apply for the positions and then be interviewed.
The teachers, commonly referred to as interns, are now required to reapply for vacancies in their current counties, sub-counties, or workstations. The teachers went on strike in May demanding better terms of service. Those serving in primary schools are paid Sh15,000 per month while those in junior and secondary schools earn Sh20,000 monthly.
“The Teachers Service Commission invites applications to fill 46,000 vacancies for qualified teachers on Permanent and Pensionable terms of Service. Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications online not later than 7th October, 2024, at midnight,” the advert reads in part.
In August, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the teachers' demands would be met, including the recruitment of 20,000 additional teachers and the confirmation of the 46,000 Junior School (JS) teachers on permanent and pensionable status. He announced that the government intends to make JS teachers permanent by January 2025.
“The 46,000 JS teachers are on course to be confirmed as permanent and pensionable by the government, and we hope to complete this by January 2025, so they should not have any anxiety,” Mr Ogamba said.
At the same time, on August 28 2025, the TSC extended the internship contracts of 20,000 interns for an additional four months. TSC has instructed that the extensions be offered to interns who are willing to continue.
In the new advertisement, the commission said that serving interns will only be required to present their identity cards during the verification process, alleviating some of the burden of reapplication.
The announcement has raised concerns among interns, many of whom expected a smoother transition into permanent roles without needing to reapply.
“This reapplication process makes us feel utterly devalued and disrespected. After everything we’ve poured into our work—our late nights, our passion, our commitment to our students—it's as if we’re being told our efforts mean nothing. One moment, we’re on the brink of securing permanent and pensionable positions, and the next, we’re being thrust back into uncertainty, forced to reapply for jobs we've been doing with dedication and love. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating. The teaching profession is becoming a cruel joke. After all the sacrifices we've made, to suddenly face this hurdle feels like a betrayal. We are left feeling frustrated and lost, questioning if our hard work will ever be recognized or rewarded,” said Micheal Owino an intern teacher in Siaya.
According to the advertisement, candidates must also hold a minimum of a P1 certificate for Primary Schools and a minimum of a diploma in education for JSS and Secondary Schools.
"I’ve been teaching for over a year, and now I’m being told I need to start from scratch. It feels like all my hard work is for nothing. This is disappointing. We have been working hard, hoping for job security, only to be asked to reapply for positions we've already been serving in,” said Marion Wairimu an intern teacher in Nairobi.
Akelo Misori, the secretary-general of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), emphasized the union's commitment to advocating for the rights and interests of these interns, he openly expressed the union's support for the 46,000 teacher interns currently facing uncertainty regarding their employment status.
“KUPPET was assured by the employer that the vacancies are strictly for the serving 46,000 interns,” said Mr Misori.
He further explained that the commission's score sheet will guarantee that these interns receive a perfect score of 100 per cent during the interview process, effectively making them automatic candidates for absorption into permanent and pensionable employment.
"This is what we were fighting for, and we are happy with it,” said Mr Misori.
