The Kenya Kwanza government promised to bridge the current teacher shortage gap of 116,000 within two financial years.
On February 13, 2024, the Kenya Kwanza administration made significant strides in addressing the teacher shortage as 35,790 new teachers were employed. Of these, 1,000 were recruited for primary schools on permanent and pensionable terms, while 3,986 interns were integrated into the school system. Additionally, 9,000 teachers were hired on permanent and pensionable terms for junior secondary schools, and 21,365 intern teachers were recruited.
While the government has hired tens of thousands of teachers, including interns and permanent staff, a considerable deficit remains, especially in specific subject areas.
The education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, in May 2025, announced that 24,000 teachers will be recruited by the end of the year and an additional 16,000 the following year, bringing the tally to a goal of 40,000 teachers hired by the end of 2026. This came as a result of the National Assembly Committee of Education allocating an additional Ksh 7.3 billion to the Budgets Appropriations Committee.
Further updates indicate that the initial 24,000 were set to be hired by January 2026 however there is yet any indication that it has taken place.
On 14 May 2026, it was also reported that the Teachers’ Service Commission was set to convert 20,000 teachers hired under the internship program to permanent and pensionable terms in a bid to address the shortfall.
Despite the above-stated government interventions, as at May 2026, the Education Principal Secretary reported that the government has employed 100,000 teachers and was set to employ 20,000 more (against a 116,000-teacher target).
