The 20,000 teacher interns hired by the government this year will have to wait longer before they are absorbed by the government on a permanent basis, MPs heard yesterday.
This is even as MPs demanded for a formula to ensure all unemployed teachers above 45 years of age are absorbed in the next intake.
Teachers Service Commission yesterday told National Assembly’s Education Committee that there is no allocation to absorb the current interns.
The commission told the committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly that they need Sh3 billion to hire the interns on permanent and pensionable terms.
Appearing before the committee TSC director Finance Cheptumo Ayabei and Director Legal Cavin Anyuor told the MPs they engaged the National Treasury to ensure the money is availed but the same was not factored in the 2025-26 budget.
TSC was appearing before Parliament on 2025/2026 budget allocations. “So these teachers will continue to serve for the next two years or as otherwise advised, as there is no provision to recruit these teachers,” Ayabei said.
“The policy for recruitment of teachers is one year but renewable. If we get funding even now we can convert them. However, on this we did engage the National Treasury but because of the limited fiscal space the said provision was not provided.”
The commission was however given money to hire a further 20,000 interns in the coming financial year.
The Melly –led committee also challenged the teachers’ employer to come up with a formula that will ensure all teachers above 45 years and have not been employed are prioritised.
The lawmakers raised concerns that some of the teachers have been frustrated into manual jobs and some might retire before they are employed.
“These are the issues that we are talking about, we need you to make a wish list to Treasury on this,” Melly said.
Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap claimed that allowing interns to serve for two years would be going against court ruling which capped internship at one year.
“The court ruling is clear that you can only serve for one year. Chair, these interns need to be confirmed by December,” he said.
Luanda MP Dickson Maungu demanded that the commission first maps out all teachers above 45 years and carry out targeted employment to ensure they are recruited.
“I wish they would come out effectively and tell us the affirmative action policy that you will employ the said teachers. It is sad that teachers who graduated in 2024 are being absorbed and those of 2006 have been left out,” the Luanda MP said.
TSC also told Parliament they do not have money to implement the yet to be negotiated Collective Bargain Agreement.
“Currently, the CBA agreement is expiring on June 30. We are yet to invite unions because we have no funding but we internally have engaged the Salaries and Remuneration Commission on the same so that by the time we get there we know what we offer. However, we have negotiated on the non-monetary aspect,” Anyuor said.
The new CBA is supposed to start from July to June 2029 as the current one is set to expire end of next month.
In the current negotiations, the unions are pushing for significant increase in salaries and improved allowances with Kenya National Union of Teachers pushing for a 60 per cent salary increase in basic pay while Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers is demanding a salary hike ranging from 50 per cent to 100 per cent alongside introduction of a risk allowance specifically for science teachers.
The two unions are also advocating for enhanced allowances, overtime compensation where teachers are working on public holidays, hardship allowances and acting allowances.
