President William Ruto has directed that over 44,000 intern teachers who have served under contract terms for two years will automatically transition to permanent and pensionable employment.
Speaking at a national education conference in Naivasha on Thursday, May 7, Ruto emphasized that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) must honor the initial agreement that interns would be absorbed after two years.
“Every teacher can only serve for two years on contract after which they transition to permanent and pensionable terms. I hope there are no teachers who have served more than two years as interns because that is not what I bargained for,” he stated.
The President further tasked TSC with verifying whether any teachers have remained on internship beyond the stipulated period. He also hinted at possible reforms, suggesting that the internship duration could be reduced to one year if fiscal conditions improve.
“As the situation improves, we can reduce it to one year, and when our situation improves further, we can hire all our teachers on permanent terms at once,” Ruto added.
His directive comes amid mounting tension in the education sector, with intern teachers staging nationwide protests for the past two weeks. The demonstrations, which have disrupted learning in public schools, were sparked by claims that some interns had served beyond two years without confirmation.
While TSC officials have assured that the transition will take place, the commission has previously noted that the process is subject to budgetary approval from the National Treasury. Teachers have also voiced opposition to the government’s plan to recruit additional interns before confirming those already in service.
The President’s pronouncement is expected to ease unrest in schools, though clarity from TSC and Treasury will determine how quickly the affected teachers are absorbed.