KUPPET Demands Immediate Hiring Of 44,000 Intern Teachers After Court Ruling

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to secure funding from Parliament and promptly employ 44,000 junior school intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

This follows a February 27, 2026 ruling by the Court of Appeal, which declared the TSC internship programme illegal, unconstitutional, and discriminatory.

The court found that engaging qualified and registered teachers as low-paid interns amounted to unfair labour practices. The decision effectively terminated the contracts of the 44,000 interns, leaving them without jobs.

Speaking on NTV’s Fixing the Nation on Tuesday, KUPPET national chairman Omboko Milemba said the union would also push for compensation for affected teachers.

He criticised the internship programme, noting that teachers earned a monthly stipend of Sh20,000, taking home about Sh17,000 after deductions.

Milemba described the programme as exploitative and welcomed its end, adding that attention should now shift to compensating those who suffered under it.

To transition the interns into permanent roles, TSC would require approximately Sh2.5 billion per month, translating to about Sh30 billion annually.

Graduate teachers typically enter the profession at Job Group C2 (T-Scale 7), earning a basic salary of around Sh41,420, along with a Sh5,000 commuter allowance and additional house allowance based on location.

Milemba said TSC must urgently seek a supplementary budget from Parliament, noting that the required funds are not included in the current budget or the 2026–27 Budget Policy Statement.

He also proposed consolidating education bursaries into a single fund, suggesting that resources from MPs, governors, and presidential scholarships could be pooled to help absorb the intern teachers.

In addition, Milemba called for an audit of the Sh702.7 billion allocated to the education sector in the 2025/26 financial year, arguing that some funds remain underutilised.

Meanwhile, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori warned that the union would take legal action if TSC fails to comply with the court ruling. He said the commission has until the end of the month to outline how it will implement the directive.

TSC has indicated it needs more time to review the court decision and assess its financial implications before providing a clear plan.

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