Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has revealed that 24,000 newly recruited intern teachers will be absorbed into permanent and pensionable terms beginning July 2027.
The announcement was made during the presentation of the 2026/27 Budget Statement in Parliament on Thursday and forms part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the education sector and address teacher shortages across the country.
The move comes on top of an earlier government commitment to convert 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.
24,000 Intern Teachers to Get Permanent Jobs From July 2027 as TSC Receives Ksh424 Billion. Photo: Courtesy.
To support that transition, the Treasury has allocated Ksh4.9 billion in the new budget.
In addition, the government has set aside Ksh8.2 billion for the teacher internship programme during the 2026/27 financial year as it continues deploying educators to public schools.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated Ksh424 billion, making it the largest beneficiary within the education sector budget.
The planned conversion of the 24,000 intern teachers is expected to provide job security and improved benefits for thousands of young educators who have been serving under internship contracts.
The government has faced sustained pressure from teachers’ unions and lawmakers to employ intern teachers on permanent terms, citing concerns over lower pay and limited benefits under internship arrangements.
Many of the teachers have been deployed to Junior Secondary Schools following the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, which has significantly increased demand for teaching staff nationwide.
According to the Treasury, the government will have employed a total of 116,000 teachers by next year, averaging more than 20,000 recruitments annually over the past three years.
The administration maintains that education remains its highest-funded sector, with Ksh784.5 billion allocated for the 2026/27 financial year, representing 26.4 per cent of the total ministerial budget.
