The Teachers Service Commission Headquarters. /FILE
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has dismissed as fake a circular circulating on social media that purports to invite applications for the recruitment of 46,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.
The commission warned trained but unemployed teachers and members of the public against relying on the notice, saying it did not originate from TSC and should be treated as misleading information.
The viral circular, which bears the commission's logo and official insignia, falsely claims that TSC is seeking to recruit 6,000 primary school teachers, 39,350 junior school teachers and 450 senior school teachers.
In a statement, the commission categorically disowned the advert and cautioned prospective applicants against engaging with individuals or platforms spreading the information.
"Reference is made to the above circulating poster. Please note that the information is misleading and fake," TSC said.
The commission advised teachers and the general public to obtain recruitment and employment information only from its verified communication channels, including its official website and social media platforms on Facebook and X.
The clarification comes at a time when thousands of unemployed teachers are keenly following government plans to address the country's persistent teacher shortage, making them particularly vulnerable to fraudulent recruitment claims.
Despite the fake advert, the government has signalled its commitment to expanding the teaching workforce, with education receiving a record allocation in the 2026-27 financial year.
Budget estimates presented before Parliament by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on June 11 show that the education sector has been allocated Sh784.5 billion, the highest share of government expenditure.
Of this amount, more than Sh424 billion has been set aside for TSC, primarily to cater for teachers' salaries and other personnel-related costs.
The allocation represents an increase of Sh36.8 billion from the Sh387.2 billion that was allocated to the commission in the 2025-26 financial year, when the overall education budget stood at Sh702.7 billion.
To strengthen staffing levels in schools, Mbadi allocated an additional Sh4.9 billion for the conversion of 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.
A further Sh8.2 billion has been earmarked to facilitate the recruitment of 24,000 newly hired intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms beginning in July 2027.
According to the Treasury, these recruitments will raise the total number of teachers hired by the government since 2022 to 116,000.
Even so, Kenya continues to grapple with a significant teacher shortage estimated at 137,500. The deficit has been attributed to rising learner enrolment, the rollout of Competency-Based Education (CBE), and inadequate numbers of qualified teachers in specialised subject areas.
The transition to senior school under the new education system has created additional pressure, with estimates indicating a shortage of more than 58,000 teachers required to support specialised pathways, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), creative arts and vocational training.
Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres are also facing staffing challenges, with the sector estimated to be short of up to 38,000 teachers nationwide.
