Junior School Intern Teachers Set For February Payroll As TSC Confirms Amount

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to release February salaries to thousands of teachers across the country after successfully closing its payroll system, commonly referred to as TPay, on Tuesday afternoon.

The move clears the way for the TSC to begin crediting salaries into teachers’ bank accounts starting Thursday, just as learning institutions prepare to break for the half-term holiday.

Among those scheduled to receive their pay are approximately 24,000 junior school intern teachers who were recruited and deployed to schools in early January. This group marks one of the largest cohorts of interns engaged under the government’s ongoing education reforms aimed at strengthening the transition to junior secondary education.

The February payment will include stipends for the month as well as arrears covering days worked in January that had not been processed in the previous payroll cycle. The inclusion of arrears comes as a relief to many of the newly posted interns who began teaching immediately after reporting to their assigned stations.

A junior school intern teacher earns a gross monthly stipend of Sh20,000. However, after statutory deductions, including contributions to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the Housing Levy, and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the take-home pay averages about Sh18,000.

Upon deployment, the intern teachers assigned to junior schools hosted within primary schools participated in induction programmes organized by TSC. The sessions were designed to familiarize them with key regulatory frameworks governing the teaching profession.

During the induction, teachers were sensitized on various legal and professional requirements, including the Code of Regulations for Teachers and the Code of Conduct and Ethics. These frameworks outline expectations on professional behavior, accountability, and service delivery in public institutions.

Following the induction phase, teachers specializing in STEM subjects and languages are scheduled to undergo further retooling by the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA). The training focuses on Competency-Based Education (CBE) and Competency-Based Assessment (CBA), key pillars of Kenya’s new education framework that emphasize practical skills and learner-centered instruction.

The newly recruited interns are serving under a one-year contract running from January 1 to December 31, 2026. However, their long-term prospects appear promising following recent government assurances.

William Ruto previously announced that all government interns, including those under TSC, will be required to serve for a minimum of two years before being confirmed on permanent and pensionable (PNP) terms. This policy shift means that the current batch of interns is likely to qualify for confirmation beginning January 2028, provided they complete the stipulated service period successfully.

In a related development, 20,000 junior school interns who were first employed in January 2025 and whose contracts ended on December 31 had their terms extended for an additional year. The extension ensures continuity in staffing junior secondary classes while the government implements the broader teacher recruitment strategy.

President Ruto assured the earlier cohort that they would be confirmed to permanent and pensionable terms upon completing their two-year internship period in January 2027.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba also announced that the government plans to recruit an additional 16,000 junior school intern teachers within the year. The move is intended to ease staffing pressures and support the full rollout of Competency-Based Education across the country.

TSC has put in place several incentives aimed at encouraging teachers to accept internship positions. One key benefit is priority consideration when permanent replacement vacancies arise. Intern teachers are awarded 50 marks during replacement interviews, significantly boosting their competitiveness compared to external applicants.

This preferential scoring system has made internship opportunities more attractive, particularly for newly qualified teachers seeking entry into the public service.

However, teachers are likely to notice changes in their February payslips due to adjustments in National Social Security Fund contributions. Currently, teachers, like other employees, contribute Sh360 per month to NSSF, with the employer, TSC, matching the same amount. This is based on a statutory base salary of Sh6,000, of which 6 percent (Sh360) is deducted.

In total, each teacher effectively has Sh720 remitted to NSSF monthly when combining employee and employer contributions.

Under the next phase of the NSSF contribution structure, the pensionable earnings base is expected to rise from Sh6,000 to Sh9,000 or higher. Should the base increase to Sh9,000, the 6 percent employee contribution would amount to Sh540 per month. TSC would be required to match this figure, raising the total monthly NSSF remittance per teacher to Sh1,080.

Importantly, the deduction applies uniformly across public servants, including TSC teachers, because it is pegged to the legally defined earnings base rather than individual salaries. The adjustment forms part of the fourth and final phase of pension contribution reforms, which will affect millions of employees nationwide.

As schools prepare for the half-term break, the timely processing of February salaries provides financial relief and stability to teachers, particularly the newly recruited interns adjusting to professional life.

With continued recruitment plans, policy reforms, and training programmes underway, the government appears committed to strengthening the teaching workforce to support Kenya’s evolving education system.

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