Intern Teachers Push for Permanent Positions Across Nairobi

Hundreds of intern teachers working across Nairobi’s junior secondary schools are intensifying their push for confirmation into permanent and pensionable employment with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). After completing their internship, many are still serving under provisional contracts and earning stipends far below those of fully‑confirmed teachers. Their demands follow multiple notifications from Parliament and court rulings urging the transition of intern teachers into full employment.
Intern teachers were originally recruited to bridge staffing gaps under the CBC‑driven junior secondary school (JSS) rollout. However, despite repeated promises, the TSC cited deep budgetary constraints as the reason for delays in formal absorption. For example, in May 2025 the Commission told MPs it lacked sufficient funds to convert the interns, leaving over 20,000 teachers in limbo. Union leaders welcomed the TSC’s recent announcement to absorb 26,000 intern teachers but stressed that the remaining cohort must not be overlooked.
The prolonged uncertainty has triggered frustration and concern. Intern teachers say the low stipend undermines their welfare and morale, and some have threatened industrial action if their employment status remains unclear. Lawmakers echoed these concerns, questioning the rationale of recruiting new interns while older ones remain unconfirmed.Moving forward, education stakeholders say the key will be timely funding, transparent conversion criteria, and a forward‑looking policy that avoids recurrent cycles of contract teaching without progression. The outcome may not only affect Nairobi’s teaching workforce stability but also the quality of junior‑secondary education across the county.