President William Ruto on Sunday finally broke his silence on the intricate issue of interns in Government, as he disclosed a multi-faceted approach designed to integrate internship as a crucial component of the learning and job acquisition process across various sectors.

During an evening media round-table at State House, Ruto outlined the government’s change of policy that would require Junior Secondary School intern teachers to undergo a two-year attachment before transitioning to permanent and pensionable terms.

The move, according to the President, would be replicated in the public sector, where the Public Service Commission has been recruiting cohorts of interns to serve for at least a year before they can be absorbed.

A Kenya National Bureau of Statistics report shows that more than half of the civil service personnel is aged 50 years and above.

It is, therefore, apparent that the country faces a severe shortage of teachers as it faces the challenge of succession, as its ageing workforce has started exiting without passing on critical skills to younger workers.

The President’s declaration that the government would henceforth employ interns to serve for at least two years before they are absorbed on permanent and pensionable terms therefore raises critical questions.

Is the government running away from its responsibility to provide permanent and pensionable employment to its citizens? Has it formulated any policy framework to guide and drive that internship arrangement? Is the government encouraging casual employment policy through the backdoor?

Finally, has the government weighed both the pros and cons of first employing individuals as interns for a two-year period and those of absorbing individuals directly and determined which one outweighs the other?

Service on internship is nothing short of a patriotic act. These teachers who have persevered the challenges of the Competency-Based Curriculum transition and learnt valuable lessons from the process should be immediately confirmed to permanent and pensionable status so that they can help stabilise their institutions.