Macharia: TSC needs Sh70 billion to hire 98,000 teachers

The Teachers Service Commission requires Sh70 billion to recruit 98,461 teachers for both junior secondary schools and high schools to address the country’s acute teacher shortage.

TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia made this disclosure on Wednesday while appearing before the Senate National Cohesion committee, chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohammed Chute.

The development comes as she refuted claims that TSC has ceded its constitutional mandate to politicians, following allegations that some teachers were hired at funerals through political influence.

“We did not issue recruitment letters to any politician,” she said. “Our recruitment is conducted strictly at the subcounty level, as per TSC guidelines.”

Macharia's revelation about the budgetary requirement came in response to a query by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who questioned the commission’s financial readiness to meet its obligations under the constitution.

“If we were to receive Sh70 billion, we could address the teacher shortages optimally,” Macharia told the committee.

“Currently, we have a shortage of 72,442 teachers in Junior Secondary and 26,039 in high schools under the 8-4-4 system.”

She added that TSC has already recruited 68,313 JSS teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

In the 2022-23 financial year, TSC recruited 9,000 teachers, followed by 39,550 in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, and 20,000 interns who reported in January 2025.

Of the 68,550 targeted positions, 68,313 have been filled, with only 237 vacancies remaining unfilled due to a lack of applicants, primarily in hardship areas.

According to Macharia, the unfilled vacancies comprise of 56 permanent and pensionable vacancies in Mandera county and 181 intern vacancies in Mandera (114), Marsabit (34) and Wajir (33) respectively.

She further told the committee that recruitment of teachers is conducted at the subcounty level, which is aimed at according all Kenyans equal opportunity for employment.

Of the 68, 313 JSS teachers recruited, the Kalenjin community takes the lion share with 10,769 followed by Luhyas (10,466), Kamba (9,557), Kikuyu (8,799), Luo (8,721) and the Abagusii at 6,796 respectively.

The Ameru (4,087), Mijikenda (1,851), Maasai (1,741), Embu (883), Tharaka (608), Mbeere (526), Teso (510), Taita (435), Somali (347), Pokot (204), Samburu (136), Turkana (131) and Duruma (115).

Despite the figures, Senators pressed Macharia on claims that politicians had hijacked the recruitment process.

“How many of these 68,000 teachers were hired by politicians at funerals, and how many through the professional channels of the commission?” posed Senator Chute.

Omtatah added, “This issue is a matter of public notoriety. If teachers were hired against your policy, you should have resigned. That’s what serious civil servants do.”

Macharia, however, stood her ground, insisting that the commission followed its recruitment policies and denied any involvement in politicised hiring.

“As CEO, it is disheartening to see such things happen, but TSC did not participate in them,” she said.

“We have clear recruitment guidelines, and the 68,313 teachers were recruited by TSC, not the Office of the President.”

She emphasised that the commission runs its recruitment at the subcounty level, with allocation of teachers done based on class numbers and existing shortages.

“Teacher deployment is purely based on need. Once the national allocation is made, it is distributed to the counties based on enrollment and further subdivided into subcounties. The County director then posts teachers to areas with shortages,” she said.

Macharia called for support and protection of TSC’s independence, stressing that the commission must be allowed to execute its mandate without interference.