NAIROBI, Kenya — The government will recruit 24,000 new teachers by January 2026 in a fresh effort to ease the acute shortage of educators in public schools, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced.
Speaking during World Teachers’ Day celebrations at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Ogamba said the new hiring will raise the number of teachers recruited under the Kenya Kwanza administration to 100,000 in just three years — the largest expansion in the teaching workforce in Kenya’s history.
“The government has employed a historic 76,000 teachers in two years. A further 24,000 will be hired by January 2026, making a total of 100,000 teachers in a record three years,” Ogamba said.
He said the recruitment drive is part of the government’s broader plan to improve the quality of education and reduce overcrowding in classrooms, particularly in remote and marginalised areas.
“We are committed to bridging the teacher shortage gap to ensure that every Kenyan child receives quality education,” he added.
The Education Ministry said the upcoming recruitment will prioritise counties hardest hit by teacher shortages and address subject-specific needs, especially in secondary schools where deficits remain significant.
This year’s World Teachers’ Day was marked under the theme “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.”
President William Ruto has previously underscored teacher recruitment as a top government priority.
Speaking during Labour Day celebrations on May 1, the President said the administration had reduced the national teacher deficit—estimated at 116,000 in 2022—by employing more than 76,000 teachers over the last two years.
“We have set aside Sh2.4 billion to hire an additional 20,000 intern teachers starting January 2026,” Ruto said, adding that Sh1.6 billion has been allocated for teacher capacity building and another Sh1 billion for promotions.
He said these investments have led to improved student-teacher ratios, better literacy and numeracy outcomes, and greater job stability within local communities.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has welcomed the renewed hiring push, noting that sustained recruitment and improved teacher welfare are key to addressing the long-standing staffing imbalance in the public education sector.
