President William Ruto and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have announced a policy change that will move teachers serving as interns into a new contractual employment model. The plan sets an automatic Permanent & Pensionable (P&P) confirmation after two years of service and removes the standard interview step for confirmation.
Key Takeaways
- TSC interns transition to contracts will replace the current “internship” label with formal contracts at the end of existing terms.
- Teachers who complete two years under contract will be automatically confirmed to P&P without interviews.
- The first cohort of 20,000 interns (hired January 2025) is expected for P&P confirmation in January 2027, with funds provisioned.
- A further recruitment of 16,000 teachers is planned for November 2026 under the new contractual model.
TSC interns transition to contracts: What changes
Under the new roadmap, the TSC will change the employment status of current intern teachers from temporary “intern” roles to formal contracts once their present terms end. After two years of contracted service, teachers will move automatically to Permanent & Pensionable terms. The government has also directed that the usual interview process for confirmation be waived for these teachers.
Why the shift? Legal and financial context
The primary driver for the move is a court decision that found the internship programme to be legally problematic: the ruling held that registered, trained teachers cannot be classified as interns when they perform full professional duties. Although the order was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court, the TSC and the government are adopting contracts to create a legally defensible employment framework while managing fiscal limits.
At the same time, the change aims to balance legal compliance with the state’s limited budget. The Treasury has announced funding allocations to start confirming part of the cohort, indicating an attempt to phase in costs rather than confirm all interns immediately.
Numbers and timeline
- Current interns: 44,000 junior school teachers — 20,000 recruited January 2025 and 24,000 recruited January 2026.
- January 2027: The first 20,000 (2025 cohort) are scheduled for automatic P&P confirmation; Sh 4.2 billion has been set aside.
- November 2026: Recruitment of 16,000 new teachers who will be employed directly on the new contracts.
Pay, deductions and teacher welfare
Many of the affected teachers currently receive a monthly stipend of Sh 20,000. After statutory deductions for health insurance, NSSF and housing levies, take-home pay is about Sh 17,000 for intern teachers. For a large number of educators this remains insufficient, prompting protests and calls for faster absorption into P&P terms.
The contractual model aims to provide a pathway to better pay and benefits, but the two-year waiting period and current stipend levels are central concerns for unions and teachers on the ground.
Implications for schools and classroom quality
Moving interns to contracts and eventually to P&P should improve teacher morale and retention if implemented on schedule. Stable employment can reduce turnover and improve lesson continuity. However, delays in confirmations or inadequate compensation can worsen teacher shortages and affect classroom learning.
School leaders should plan for both short-term disruptions (industrial action, protests) and long-term staffing changes as cohorts move from internship to contract to P&P.
How teachers should prepare
- Keep employment documents updated and retain records of duty and performance for the two-year period.
- Engage with county education officers and union representatives to follow timelines and raise concerns about pay deductions.
- Use available curriculum and exam resources to strengthen classroom practice while awaiting confirmation. For example, teachers can access CBC exam resources and curriculum designs to improve lessons and assessment readiness.
- Early-career teachers pursuing further credentials may consult past papers and study aids such as the Diploma in Education past papers to boost professional development.
Questions for policymakers
Key policy questions remain: Is the two-year automatic confirmation period the best compromise between legal compliance and teacher welfare? Will the Treasury meet future funding needs to convert contractors to P&P on schedule? Clear answers and transparent timelines will be critical to maintain trust in the transition process.
What to watch next
- Implementation details from TSC on contract terms and the exact dates for conversion to P&P.
- Progress on the November 2026 recruitment for 16,000 new teachers under the contract model.
- Union responses and any planned industrial actions if teachers reject the two-year confirmation policy.
If you are a teacher, school leader, or parent, monitor official TSC circulars and prepare documentation now. Accessible curriculum and exam supports, like the links above, can help maintain teaching standards during this employment transition.
