The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of Kenya has announced that 46,000 intern teachers will officially transition to permanent and pensionable (PNP) terms starting January 2025, marking a major milestone in Kenya’s education sector.
The teachers, who have been serving on internship terms in primary, junior secondary, and secondary schools, will receive their formal appointment and employment letters when schools reopen for the first term of 2025.
🔎 Ongoing Verification Process
In preparation for this transition, document verification exercises have begun at sub-county levels and will continue until October 17, 2024. Interns are only required to present their national identity cards at their respective TSC sub-county director’s offices.
After verification, teachers will fill out official TSC employment forms, finalizing the recruitment process and unlocking access to improved salaries and employment benefits.
📝 Breakdown of the Recruitment Drive
Earlier this year, TSC advertised 46,000 permanent teaching vacancies, distributed as follows:
- 6,000 positions for primary schools
- 39,550 for junior secondary
- 450 for secondary schools
Eligible candidates were required to apply online by October 8, 2024. Despite this open application process, TSC has prioritized existing intern teachers for confirmation, rewarding their service with high scores in the recruitment marking scheme.
Intern teachers scored up to 62 marks, while non-intern candidates had a maximum of 45 marks, reflecting TSC’s commitment to first absorb those already in service.
💰 Budget Allocation and Delay in Confirmation
The confirmation was initially slated for July 2024 but was postponed to January 2025 due to funding constraints. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed that KSh 18.7 billion had been released for the exercise—short of the KSh 30 billion needed to fund the permanent terms for a full year.
“I am pleased to announce the release of KSh 18.7 billion for hiring intern teachers and KSh 13.5 billion to implement the CBA on salary increments. We are committed to uplifting the standards of education and ensuring our teachers are well compensated.”
Ogamba
Categories of Intern Teachers Affected
The 46,000 teachers set for confirmation include:
- 21,550 junior secondary and 4,000 primary school interns recruited in February 2023
- 450 secondary school interns recruited in April 2023
- 18,000 junior secondary and 2,000 primary school interns recruited in September 2023
TSC also plans to recruit an additional 20,000 intern teachers in 2025: 18,000 for junior secondary and 2,000 for primary.
📊 New Salaries and Allowances
Primary School Teachers (P1 – Job Group B5)
- Basic salary: KSh 21,756–27,195
- Commuter allowance: KSh 4,000
- Leave allowance: KSh 4,000 (annually)
- House allowance:
- Nairobi: KSh 6,750
- Major municipalities: KSh 4,500
- Minor municipalities: KSh 3,850
- Others: KSh 3,200
- Nairobi: KSh 6,750
- Hardship allowance: KSh 6,600 (where applicable)
- Comprehensive medical cover
- Automatic promotion to Job Group C1 after three years
Junior and Secondary School Teachers (Graduate – Job Group C2)
- Basic salary: KSh 34,955–43,694
- Commuter allowance: KSh 5,000
- Leave allowance: KSh 6,000 (annually)
- House allowance:
- Nairobi: KSh 16,500
- Major municipalities: KSh 12,800
- Minor municipalities: KSh 9,600
- Others: KSh 7,500
- Nairobi: KSh 16,500
- Hardship allowance: KSh 10,900 (where applicable)
- Comprehensive medical cover
- Automatic promotion to Job Group C3 after three years
Currently, intern teachers earn stipends of KSh 20,000 for junior and secondary levels, and KSh 15,000 for primary school. However, statutory deductions reduce take-home pay by approximately KSh 3,000.