How Ruto's internship policy has left JSS teachers in limbo

President William Ruto has defended the government’s decision to retain junior secondary school (JSS) teachers on internship contracts for two years before confirming them to permanent and pensionable (PnP) terms.

The move that has dampened hopes among more than 20,000 interns currently serving in schools across the country.

This means the thousands of JSS interns will have to wait for longer than what they expected.

Speaking during a media engagement at the Kitui State Lodge on November 13, Ruto said the internship arrangement was part of a broader strategy to bridge Kenya’s long-standing teacher shortage while giving trained educators a clear pathway to full employment but one that requires patience.

“We engage teachers on a two-year contract as interns before they are converted to permanent and pensionable. The assurance of every intern is that at the end of every two years, there will be no negotiation but automatic conversion to PnP,” President Ruto said.

His comments come just months after the government announced plans to increase the number of teachers to 100,000 from 76,000 by January 2026, raising expectations among interns that their confirmation could come sooner.

However, the President’s remarks now mean those currently serving under internship terms will likely have to wait until 2027 for absorption.

Ruto framed the policy as a necessary step to strengthen the foundation of the country’s education system, which he described as the great equaliser between the wealthy and the poor.

“Education programmes for children are at the core of the government. It gives a level playing ground for both rich and the poor and is an equaliser. This is why we have made four changes in the sector,” he said.

He cited the work of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms led by Prof. Raphael Munavu, saying it had helped streamline the Competency-Based Education. The President also defended his administration’s record on teacher recruitment.

“We had a big gap of 116,000 teachers, but by January, I will have hired 100,000 to close the gap,” he said. “Previous governments were employing 5,000 teachers annually. In five years only 25,000 teachers were employed. But with my government, I have hired 100,000 teachers in three years.”

According to Ruto, the internship programme was designed as a temporary but structured solution to absorb the large number of unemployed teachers while meeting the country’s immediate staffing needs.

“We have 300,000 trained teachers who are employed, and we have a gap of 116,000 teachers needed in classrooms,” he said.

“So we decided to come up with an internship programme. It helps me meet the target but also assists teachers who are not employed. Instead of them being out, let them serve as interns with the assurance that when time comes, they will all be absorbed as permanent and pensionable.”

However, the policy has not been well received by the affected teachers.

On Friday, JSS intern teachers under the Nairobi Chapter issued fresh demands for immediate confirmation, accusing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of subjecting them to prolonged and exploitative terms.

Husford Momanyi, secretary-general for the intern teachers lobby in Nairobi County, said the cohort has been performing full teaching duties despite inadequate pay and lack of welfare benefits.

“The teachers have been serving diligently in respective schools despite the numerous challenges that have made their working conditions unbearable,” he said.

“We remind all stakeholders that justice and fairness for JSS teachers must remain central to this transformation.”

Momanyi questioned the legality of the internship model itself.

“We note with deep concern that the internship programme under which we have been serving has no clear constitutional or legal foundation. Internship, by definition, should be a short skills-acquisition period not a long-term engagement replacing permanent and pensionable employment,” he said.

He added that paying university graduates a monthly stipend of Sh17,000 amounted to ‘‘economic injustice’’.

“This amount cannot sustain even the most basic living standards in today’s economy. This payment is not only unfair but also demoralising, especially considering the heavy workload, administrative responsibilities, and full teaching duties we perform daily,” he said.

Intern teachers have also raised concerns over the lack of medical insurance, forcing some to incur personal expenses for healthcare.

“We deserve access to the same health insurance and welfare provisions enjoyed by other teachers under the TSC. We urge immediate inclusion of all JSS teachers in the TSC medical scheme,” Momanyi said.

This financial year (2025/26), the government allocated Sh387 billion to the TSC, including Sh7.2 billion for recruiting intern teachers, a clear signal that the internship model will remain part of government policy for now.