Milemba warns of crisis, urges hiring of 44,000 intern teachers on permanent terms
By Aloys Michael, March 24, 2026Emuhaya Member of Parliament (MP) and National Chairperson of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Omboko Milemba, has called for the urgent employment of 44,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, warning of a looming crisis in Kenya’s education sector.
His remarks come in the wake of a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal of Kenya on February 27, 2026, which declared the Teachers Internship Programme unconstitutional, discriminatory, and illegal.
The decision has placed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in a difficult position, as it grapples with how to comply with the ruling amid a reported Ksh2.5 billion budget shortfall every month, which translates to about Ksh30 billion annually.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Milemba insisted that the commission must immediately halt the internship programme and seek parliamentary intervention.
“The internship programme is declared illegal by the courts. The Teachers Service Commission must now quickly change and move to Parliament. Once they must have apologised to the teachers whom they employed wrongly, because it was illegal,” he said.
He further emphasised that the continued hiring of teachers under internship terms must stop entirely, urging a shift toward sustainable employment.
“Number two, they must cease from employing any other teacher as interns. I have done several petitions in Parliament to have teachers employed on a permanent and pensionable basis. Come to Parliament, get the budget. These teachers are suffering,” he said.
The ruling has created a critical crossroads for TSC. On one hand, absorbing the 44,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable positions would significantly increase the government’s wage bill, requiring an estimated additional Ksh2.5 billion.
This comes at a time when the government is already facing fiscal constraints and is nearing the conclusion of its supplementary budget process, with no prior allocation for such hiring.
On the other hand, terminating the contracts of the intern teachers would trigger a severe teacher shortage, particularly in junior secondary schools where many of the affected educators are currently deployed.
Education stakeholders warn that such a move could destabilise learning in public schools across the country.
TSC budget quagmire
Milemba warned that failure to act decisively could plunge the education sector into chaos, noting that the teachers in question are already playing a critical role in classrooms.
“The country must make a choice. Either we invest in our teachers and secure the future of education, or we risk a collapse in the system due to understaffing,” he added.
The crisis has also reignited debate over teacher employment policies in Kenya, with unions and lawmakers increasingly pushing for fair labour practices and adequate funding for the education sector.
As pressure mounts, all eyes are now on Parliament and the TSC to determine the fate of the 44,000 teachers.
The outcome will not only affect the livelihoods of thousands of educators but also shape the stability and quality of education for millions of learners nationwide.