Nairobi Teachers Warn of Staff Burnout Amid Rapid Enrollment Growth

In June 2025, teachers’ unions in Nairobi raised alarms over increasing cases of staff burnout in public schools, attributing the crisis to surging student enrollment and stagnant staffing levels. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) jointly called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to urgently address the imbalance. According to union leaders, many schools in Nairobi were operating with teacher-to-student ratios far above recommended thresholds, leading to fatigue, stress, and declining morale among educators.
The warning came just weeks before the expiration of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), intensifying pressure on TSC to include staffing reforms in the new deal. Teachers cited overcrowded classrooms, increased administrative duties, and lack of psychosocial support as key contributors to burnout. We are stretched beyond capacity. Teachers are doing triple shifts just to keep up, said a union representative during a press briefing on June 10, 2025. The unions also cautioned that unresolved staffing issues could lead to disruptions in learning, especially in urban schools facing the highest enrollment spikes.
Research published by UNESCO and Kenyatta University in 2023 and 2024 had already highlighted the growing prevalence of teacher burnout in Kenya, linking it to demographic pressures, inadequate support systems, and post-pandemic recovery challenges. The studies emphasized that burnout not only affects teacher wellbeing but also undermines instructional quality and student outcomes. Nairobi’s situation reflects a national trend, with urban centers bearing the brunt of enrollment surges due to migration and expanded access to education.
In response, education stakeholders have urged the Ministry of Education and TSC to accelerate recruitment, deploy mental health support programs, and revise workload policies. The 2025–2029 CBA negotiations are expected to include provisions for staffing ratios, wellness initiatives, and professional development to mitigate burnout. As Nairobi continues to lead in CBC implementation and school expansion, addressing teacher wellbeing is seen as critical to sustaining education reforms.