Twenty thousand Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers will be taken into permanent and pensionable employment in January 2027 after the government secured Sh4.9 billion to finance their recruitment, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has said.
Ogamba told the Senate on Wednesday, October 7, that the funds had been included in the 2026/27 financial year budget and would cover the hiring of the teachers from January 1.
“In the financial year of 2026/2027, the National Treasury has provided funding for the recruitment of 20,000 teachers for junior schools on permanent and pensionable terms, effective January 1, 2027,” he said.
The confirmation comes shortly after President William Ruto announced that 20,000 contract teachers would be given permanent and pensionable positions beginning January next year.
Ruto made the announcement on Monday, October 5, while addressing teachers during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Stadium.
Ogamba said the government was also continuing to honour its obligations to teachers currently serving under the internship programme. The interns remain in schools and continue to receive their monthly stipends as the government works on a longer-term solution to teacher shortages in JSS.
The CS said the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) would continue complying with existing court directives as the two institutions work on measures to deal with staffing needs in junior schools.
“The Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission will continue to comply with court directives while pursuing long-term measures to address teacher staffing requirements in Junior Secondary Schools,” the CS added.
In April, court orders directed the interns to remain at work while a case challenging the internship programme was being considered.
The January recruitment will, however, cover only part of the interns currently working in schools. Ogamba said a further 24,000 teachers would be considered for permanent and pensionable employment in stages, subject to the availability of money.
He said the ministry would continue discussions with Treasury and other stakeholders to obtain the additional resources required to complete the process.
“We will continue to engage the National Treasury and other stakeholders with a view to securing additional resources to facilitate the gradual absorption of the remaining 24,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable service,” Ogamba said.
The government had previously indicated that the remaining 24,000 interns could transition to permanent terms from July 2027.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told Parliament earlier this year that the 24,000 teachers were expected to make the transition in July 2027.
Beyond the planned absorption of the interns, Ruto has also announced plans to recruit another 20,000 teachers before the end of 2026.