Kuppet to state: Consolidate bursaries, hire 44,000 intern teachers

Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba speaking on NTV’s Fixing the Nation, March 24, 2026. /SCREENGRAB

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to seek funds from Parliament and immediately employ the 44,000 junior school intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

On February 27, 2026, the Court of Appeal declared the TSC internship programme illegal, unconstitutional and discriminatory, stating that hiring trained and registered teachers as interns on lower pay amounted to unfair labour practice.

The ruling effectively cancelled the contracts of the 44,000 intern teachers, rendering them jobless. Speaking on Tuesday morning on NTV’s Fixing the Nation, Kuppet national chairman Omboko Milemba said the union would also be pursuing compensation for the affected teachers.

He noted that the interns had been earning a Sh20,000 stipend, taking home about Sh17,000 after statutory deductions.

“I’m glad that I’m finally talking about the end of this internship programme; it has been a real thorn in the flesh for the teachers who have suffered a lot. They are exploited. Later on, we should be speaking about how they should be compensated for these wrongs,” Milemba said.

TSC will require Sh2.5 billion per month to place all 44,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, translating to about Sh30 billion annually.

Graduate teachers typically join the teaching service at Job Group C2 (formerly K), also known as T-Scale 7.

This is the entry grade for secondary school teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, with a basic salary of about Sh41,420.

They are also entitled to a Sh5,000 commuter allowance and a house allowance depending on their duty station.

If TSC converts the intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms, additional provisions may be required to cater for compensation, as Kuppet has indicated it will pursue that claim at a later stage.

Milemba said the commission must now move to Parliament to seek a supplementary budgetary allocation, noting that the funds are not provided for in the current budget or the 2026–27 Budget Policy Statement.

“The Teachers Service Commission must now quickly move to Parliament and get a budget that will employ these teachers on permanent and pensionable terms,” he said.

The Emuhaya MP further proposed the consolidation of all education bursaries into a single fund, suggesting that part of the resources could be used to absorb the intern teachers.

“There are monies given by Members of Parliament like myself, others given by governors, and there is also the presidential scholarship. If we merged all these monies, will we not employ these teachers without any pain?” he posed.

Milemba also called for an audit of the Sh702.7 billion allocated to the education sector in the 2025/26 financial year, arguing that some departments have been unable to fully utilise their allocations.

He downplayed concerns that MPs would resist relinquishing control of bursary funds under the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), saying Parliament had already taken steps towards consolidation.

“There is nothing difficult. Parliament has made an effort to consolidate these monies. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, initiated this process, and Junet Mohammed was tasked with moving the motion. A committee was formed, and I am a member,” he said.

According to Milemba, the motion was passed unopposed, and an ad hoc committee was established to actualise the plan.

“I was tagged along as a member of that committee. All we need to do is ask Junet to bring the committee together so that we can see how to consolidate these monies to make education free and compulsory,” he added.

On Monday, Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori said the union would move to court to hold TSC in contempt if it fails to absorb the intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

He said TSC has until the end of the month to communicate how it intends to implement the court order.

“The TSC must comply with the court directives, seek finances from the National Treasury, and obtain approval and allocation from Parliament so that the teachers do not suffer any longer,” Misori said.

TSC told MPs last week that it requires more time to study the court ruling before providing a way forward, citing the financial implications of the directive.