Kenya is facing a complex challenge: over 300,000 trained and registered teachers currently seeking opportunities, even as schools across the country report persistent staffing shortages.

In response, the government recently announced a plan to cap admissions into teacher training programmes, a move prompting controversy across the education sector.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba disclosed that approximately 343,485 registered teachers are unemployed, according to data presented in the Senate. Meanwhile, there is a stark contrast with the reported deficit of 98,461 teachers in public schools.

This dual reality—teacher unemployment on the one hand, and shortfalls on the other—pushes education authorities to address the mismatch.

Misspending of the government training budget, uneven distribution of teachers across counties, and financial limitations all contribute to this paradox, according to Ogamba .

The proposal to limit intake into teacher training colleges is being floated as a way to regulate the supply of teachers to align with actual hiring capacity—one that hinges significantly on Treasury allocations and the policies of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

The government’s rationale centers on managing the surplus of unemployed trained teachers. Ogamba’s office suggests that unchecked admissions exacerbate the number of graduates who can’t be absorbed—leading to a cycle of frustration, economic strain, and a drain on public resources.

Financial prudence, they argue, demands that training slots reflect realistic future employment prospects.

However, university vice-chancellors, teacher trainers, and educational think tanks strongly oppose the cap. Their core arguments:

Macro-Shortage Looms

They warn that restricting trainee numbers now underestimates future needs. Long-term plans—like the Education 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063—call for scaling up public services, including education. Capping trainees today could sow seeds of shortage decades from now.

University Autonomy at Risk

Under the Universities Act 2012, institutions have the right to decide on programmes and student numbers. V-Cs argue that government caps infringe on academic freedom, violate constitutional values of access to education, and undermine legitimate expansion efforts. 

Wasted Capacity
Universities already expanded teaching staff and facilities to prepare for high intakes. A cap now would mean idle classrooms, wasted employment, and financial inefficiencies .

Misplaced Blame
Critics also point out that the current unemployment crisis isn’t due to overproduction: it’s a result of poor performance in teacher deployment, delayed TSC hiring cycles, and budget constraints—not an oversupply of graduates.

The Ministry engaged in talks with vice-chancellors with hopes of reaching a compromise. But the stakes remain high:

Will the government stick to national hiring quotas, risking future shortages?

Or will it revise deployment policies—like solving budget bottlenecks and accelerating TSC hiring—to match existing training output?

At the heart of this debate is a balancing act: short-term fiscal responsibility versus long-term educational needs. If Kenya cuts trainee numbers based solely on the current unemployment crisis, it may set itself up for more damaging teacher shortages in years to come.

Sustainable solutions likely lie in improved hiring processes, budget increases for education, and national coordination—allowing both trained teachers and needy schools to thrive.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has formally initiated discussions over the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for 2025–2029, inviting teachers’ unions to a key consultation. The move seeks to redefine compensation and terms for post-primary educators.

A letter from Acting CEO Eveleen Mitei, dated June 24, has set the meeting for July 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM in TSC’s boardroom. It’s addressed to KUPPET, indicating TSC’s readiness to commence from a position of organized dialogue.

Unions Demanding Action

Unions have been asserting increasing pressure. KUPPET gave TSC a one-week warning to begin negotiations, raising the specter of industrial action . In response, TSC has relented, urging timely engagement to avoid disruptive fallout.

Unions’ Negotiation Goals

Key demands from unions include:

• A full 100 % raise in basic pay for lower cadres, and 50 % for senior teachers.
• Increases to allowances: housing (20 %), hardship (100 %), and commuter (250 %).
• Proposed introduction of hazard, risk, and overtime pay .
• Calls for career progression reforms and improved promotion channels.

These demands are rooted in teachers’ frustrations over deteriorating purchasing power and stalled career advancement.

KUPPET’s Secretary‑General Akelo Misori welcomed the dialogue but stressed that the TSC must approach talks with seriousness. He highlighted that teachers seek more than tokenism—they want tangible changes that reflect Kenya’s economic realities.

Similarly, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has stated it will present comprehensive proposals at a meeting scheduled for July 1, 2025, at 9:00 AM in TSC’s Tower Boardroom. Their focus is on salary uplift, better training, and promotion standards.

The previous 2021–2025 CBA predominantly granted non-financial benefits, due to fiscal constraints from the pandemic. However, teachers now expect meaningful monetary gains to meet hefty inflationary pressures.

The upcoming talks, set against scrutiny of public-sector pay and dissatisfaction among educators, carry national significance.

As July opens, attention will be on whether TSC and the unions will reach a comprehensive deal or whether discord could lead to unplanned strikes.

With teachers threatening action and unions well-prepared, both parties need to negotiate in good faith to secure stable education services.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has extended a formal invitation to teachers’ unions to begin negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering 2025 to 2029. The invitation, issued by Acting TSC CEO Eveleen Mitei, sets the stage for discussions aimed at revamping teachers’ terms and compensation.

Consultation Meeting Scheduled

In a letter dated June 24, Mitei urged the Kenya Union of Post‑Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to join a consultative meeting on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM, at the Commission chairman’s boardroom in Nairobi.

This meeting is expected to chart the course for negotiations concerning salary, allowances, promotions, and broader welfare aspects.

Unions Raise the Pressure

The invitation follows growing impatience from teachers’ groups. KUPPET, among others, issued a seven-day ultimatum demanding TSC commence discussions or face a potential strike. KUPPET General Secretary Akelo Misori emphasised that their members are reaching a breaking point and that the upcoming CBA must include tangible relief.

Key Demands on the Table

Unions are advocating for comprehensive revisions to teachers’ remuneration and conditions. Negotiation priorities include:

• Doubling basic pay for lower grade staff; a 50 % increase for senior cadre.
• Substantial hikes in housing (20 %), hardship (100 %), and commuter allowances (250 %).
• Introduction of overtime compensation, risk, and hazard allowances.
• Revamped promotion criteria and career progression reforms.

These demands reflect a broader push to align teachers’ salaries with soaring living costs and to rectify stagnation in career advancement.

Peaceful Engagement Yet Tense Outlook

Misori responded positively to TSC’s invitation but underscored the need for serious and result‑driven negotiations. “We are ready to engage constructively but expect these talks to go beyond formality a meaningful package that reflects the realities of the current economy,” he commented.

KNUT is also expected to present detailed proposals aimed at significantly bettering working conditions and pay scales.

The last CBA covering 2021–2025 offered limited financial gains, focusing instead on perks like health cover and allowances, largely due to pandemic constraints. This time, however, teachers are seeking substantial financial gain.

The dialogue comes amid increasing concerns over teacher morale and the cost of living. With further negotiations looming in the public sector wage bill, outcomes here may influence compensation frameworks across the board.

The meeting, slated for early July, will mark the start of a critical negotiation phase. Success hinges on meaningful progress, or else both KUPPET and KNUT may move to industrial action—highlighting the stakes involved.

Stakeholders across Kenya’s educational landscape are watching closely, as the results taken from this negotiation could shape not only teacher welfare but also the quality of education delivered in classrooms nationwide.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has laid out a detailed and highly structured vetting process to select primary school teachers for deployment to Junior Secondary School (JSS).

The exercise, part of a wider strategy to resolve teacher shortages and stagnation, is already underway for the 3,693 teachers who submitted their applications.

The Commission stipulates that only teachers qualified to teach at secondary level can be considered for the deployment. To be eligible, an applicant must hold at least a Diploma in Education and have attained a C+ at KCSE (or its equivalent), along with a C+ in two teaching subjects aligned with the current curriculum.

Alternatively, candidates with a C grade who also possess a diploma and a bachelor’s degree in education may qualify.

Crucially, Bachelor of Education holders in the Primary Option are disqualified, a move that has sparked discontent among teachers who had pursued such qualifications under the impression they would count in future career advancement.

TSC further requires that candidates be actively employed, registered with the Commission, and not under disciplinary action or interdiction.

The vetting process begins at the sub-county level, where invited teachers must present original and photocopies of academic documents, including degree/diploma certificates, transcripts, KCSE certificates, and current payslips.

The Head of Institution must also provide a written declaration verifying that the teacher is actively teaching and not under investigation.

After document verification, Sub County Directors must prepare signed minutes of the vetting meeting. These records are then reviewed at the county level, where another round of documentation and list verification is done. The final vetting outcome is then forwarded to the Director of Staffing at TSC headquarters in Nairobi.

All verified teacher lists must include a status and remarks column. This provides clarity on why an applicant was either approved or disqualified—for instance, due to having less than the required KCSE grade. These submissions must be sent in editable MS Excel format by June 20, 2025, via the official TSC email.

TSC emphasized that no modifications should be made to the original lists beyond filling in the status and justification columns. Sub County Directors are required to securely store vetted documents of successful applicants, awaiting further instruction.

This meticulous process is part of TSC’s efforts to maintain high standards in JSS staffing while promoting only those who meet set thresholds.

Primary school teachers with advanced academic qualifications are urging the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to acknowledge their degrees and diplomas in the ongoing Junior Secondary School (JSS) deployment.

Many of these educators, having invested heavily in further studies, feel excluded from the current criteria set by the commission.

TSC has rolled out a deployment initiative targeting P1 teachers to teach Grades 7, 8, and 9 under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). However, the eligibility criteria have left a large section of qualified teachers disappointed. According to TSC, only teachers with a degree in secondary education and a minimum of a C+ in KCSE — including at least a C+ in two teaching subjects — qualify for deployment.

This stipulation has disqualified several teachers who pursued degrees in primary education, ECDE diploma holders, and even those with degrees in secondary education but without a diploma in secondary education or who scored below a C+ in KCSE.

The affected teachers argue that their qualifications were earned at great financial and personal cost. Many had expected automatic promotions upon presenting their updated academic credentials, as was previously the practice before 2014.

However, TSC abolished the Schemes of Service (SoS) system and replaced it with the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), which prioritize continuous appraisal over academic advancement alone.

Currently, only teachers with a degree in secondary education or a diploma in Special Needs Education (SNE) are being considered for JSS promotions. The Commission insists that performance appraisals, through tools like the Teacher Professional Appraisal and Development (TPAD), are now the primary basis for promotions.

Additionally, a Teacher Professional Development (TPD) program is set to be introduced in December 2025 to further professionalize career advancement.

TSC had announced that it required 6,000 P1 teachers to fill junior secondary teaching slots. However, only 3,693 eligible teachers applied, underlining how restrictive the new guidelines are. Frustration continues to grow among teachers who meet most, but not all, of the Commission’s requirements.

While the deployment aims to address teacher shortages and job stagnation, the strict vetting procedures and eligibility barriers risk alienating a significant number of experienced and educated primary school teachers. These educators are now calling for a review of the criteria to make the deployment more inclusive.