The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has said a further 16,000 teachers will be employed to close staffing gaps, and that more than 310,000 teachers have been retooled for Competency-Based Education (CBE). Training in new learning areas starts on 23 November 2026.
Commission Secretary and Acting CEO Dr Evaleen Mitei gave the figures at the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association (KECSHA) conference in Mombasa.
The key figures
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Teachers recruited over the past three years | 100,000 |
| Further teachers to be employed | 16,000 |
| Teachers retooled for CBE through the multi-agency programme | More than 310,000 |
| Start of training in new learning areas | 23 November 2026 |
Recruitment
Mitei said the rising number of learners and the expansion of the new curriculum have increased demand for teachers at different levels of basic education. She said the recruitment of the past three years has reduced the teacher shortage in Junior Schools, and asked school heads to deploy the teachers they have effectively.
The 16,000 figure is the one TSC set out to Parliament in its 2026/2027 budget proposals, as recruitment for Junior and Senior Schools at a cost of Sh1.9 billion. TSC’s 7,720 replacement vacancies, advertised on 10 November 2026, are a separate exercise.
TSC publishes authentic recruitment adverts only on its official website and verified channels.
Retooling for new learning areas
Mitei said TSC is preparing teachers for emerging learning areas: Creative Arts, Music and Dance, Theatre and Film, and Media Technology and Studies. Training begins on 23 November 2026 in partnership with the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.
Promotions
Mitei said the promotion of 34,016 teachers is on course, with interview results being processed.
Junior School management
The conference also brought out differing union positions on how Junior School teachers should be managed:
- KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu urged teachers to embrace the comprehensive school model. He said institutions should operate as one establishment from Early Childhood Development Education to Grade 9.
- KUPPET has questioned placing degree-holding teachers under primary school head teachers. It says their qualifications and teaching responsibilities warrant a different administrative arrangement, and that Junior Schools need their own structure.
Read Also: Over 24,000 Public Primary Schools to Get New Grade 1–3 Textbooks in January 2027
What school heads should do
Mitei asked school heads to make sure available teachers are deployed where they improve learning outcomes. School heads, and teachers interested in the new learning areas, should follow TSC’s official channels for details of the 23 November training.