As Kenya stands at a crossroads in its educational history, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has delivered a sobering directive that marks the end of an era. In a recent high-level budgetary session with the National Assembly’s Education Committee, acting TSC Chief Executive Evaleen Mitei unveiled a strategic shift that effectively places a moratorium on the recruitment of new primary school teachers. This decision, while mathematically sound, has sent ripples of anxiety through teacher training colleges nationwide.
The primary driver behind this hiring freeze is the structural reconfiguration of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). With the final phase-out of the 8-4-4 system, the traditional “Primary School” footprint is shrinking.
As learners transition into Grade 7, 8, and 9—now categorized as Junior School—the demand for labor has migrated upward. Consequently, the TSC currently faces a surplus of approximately 18,148 primary school teachers, a stark contrast to the massive deficits recorded in previous decades.
For the thousands of unemployed P1 certificate holders, the news is particularly grim. Mitei clarified that any future vacancies in primary schools will be filled exclusively through natural attrition—meaning the Commission will only hire to replace those who retire or leave the service.
The Sh1 billion recruitment budget previously allocated for primary levels has been entirely rechanneled to address the “gaping wound” in Junior and Senior Secondary staffing, where the teacher-to-student ratio remains critically imbalanced.
The TSC’s message to educators is clear: adapt or face professional stagnation. To remain relevant in the 2026/2027 labor market, primary teachers are being urged to undergo “Pedagogical Re-engineering.” This involves enrolling in diploma or degree programs that specialize in Junior School learning areas or the technical pathways of Senior School.
The Commission has earmarked a portion of its Sh422.9 billion budget for 70,000 teacher retooling sessions, signaling that the future of employment lies in specialization rather than generalist primary teaching.
The announcement has not gone unchallenged. Lawmakers, led by Committee Chair Julius Melly, have questioned the logic of a hiring freeze when many rural primary schools still complain of understaffing. However, the TSC maintains that the “surplus” is a national aggregate, and the solution lies in re-distribution and balance rather than fresh hiring.
As the Commission prepares to recruit 16,000 new teachers for higher levels in the coming financial year, the primary sector remains a “closed door,” forcing a generation of educators to rethink their career trajectories.
