TSC to Confirm 46,000 JSS teachers in January 2025 – CS Mbadi
Teachers across Kenya received positive news as the National Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary (CS) John Mbadi confirmed that the government has allocated funds to hire Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers on permanent terms.
This announcement dispels earlier concerns and rumors to the contrary, and Mbadi expressed regret for any anxiety caused by previous statements.
The Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning clarified that beginning in January 2025, the government will employ JSS teachers on permanent and pensionable terms. This move aims to provide job security and stability for educators.
“Funds have been allocated by the government to employ Junior Secondary School teachers on permanent and pensionable terms starting January 2025,” the Ministry of Treasury said on X.
Budget Shortfall and Initial Concerns
Earlier, Mbadi had indicated that the government lacked the necessary funds to employ JSS teachers permanently. Speaking on a Thursday, he highlighted a budget shortfall that made it challenging for the government to address the employment concerns of JSS teachers.
He noted that there were insufficient resources to recruit teachers permanently and to meet the needs of the additional 20,000 JSS teachers that had been reduced in budget estimates.
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The government initially planned to allocate Sh18.3 billion to employ teachers currently working as interns. However, the fall of the Finance Bill 2024 created a significant budget deficit of Sh346 billion, complicating these plans.
In June, the Court of Appeal intervened by halting plans to employ 46,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
Justices Asike Makhandia, Sankale Ole Kantai, and Ngenye Macharia suspended an earlier order by the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) that required the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to convert these internships into permanent positions.
As a result, JSS teachers will continue to work as interns until the case filed by the Nancy Macharia-led TSC is resolved. In their application, TSC argued that the ELRC’s orders disrupted their plans, as the budget had not accounted for hiring intern teachers on permanent terms.
Implications for Public School Learners
TSC’s lawyer, Allan Sitima, emphasized that the rights of all learners in public schools could be at risk if the Commission is unable to secure the financial resources necessary to onboard 46,000 teachers on permanent terms.
The concern is that without adequate staffing, the quality of education could be compromised, potentially violating constitutional rights under Articles 43 and 53.
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The hiring of JSS teachers has been a contentious issue, with teachers’ unions, including the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers and the Kenya National Union of Teachers, citing it as a key reason for their threatened nationwide strike.
Over the weekend, both unions held special meetings where they resolved to paralyze learning if their demands were not met.
The unions have insisted that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has only addressed one of their six key demands. These demands include:
- Promotion of 130,000 teachers
- Immediate recruitment of 20,000 new JSS teachers
- Prompt remittance of third-party deductions
- Commitment by TSC to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement
TSC to Confirm 46,000 JSS teachers in January 2025 – CS Mbadi
