Ruto Unveils Major December Plan as New Teaching Jobs Set to Transform Schools-Details

Ruto Announces Recruitment of 20,000 Teachers by December 2026

President William Ruto has announced that the government plans to recruit 20,000 additional teachers by December 2026, bringing the total number hired under his administration to 120,000.

He made the announcement during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Gymnasium on October 5, 2026. Ruto said the new recruitment would help address the shortage of teachers in schools across the country and strengthen Kenya’s education system.

The President noted that the government had already recruited 100,000 teachers. He described the recruitment as the largest expansion of Kenya’s teaching workforce. When his administration took office, the country had a shortage of about 116,000 teachers.

Ruto also announced plans to improve the employment terms of teachers. He said the government had set aside Sh4.9 billion to move 20,000 contract teachers who have completed two years of service to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027. This transition is separate from the recruitment of the additional 20,000 teachers.

On promotions, the President said the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had advertised 34,016 promotion opportunities. However, he urged the commission to increase the number to 50,000, adding that the government would provide extra funds for the exercise. He said the promotion budget had been increased from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion.

Ruto said the government was working to improve teachers’ welfare, including healthcare and the payment of retirement benefits. He noted that teachers’ access to inpatient medical services had improved, with more health facilities available to them.

The President also said a pension information system was being used to speed up the processing of retirement payments. He expressed hope that teachers would receive their benefits within 10 days of retirement.

The announcements form part of government efforts to strengthen education, improve teachers’ working conditions and support the implementation of the Competency-Based Education system.