Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury John Mbadi has set aside Ksh4.92 billion to hire 20,000 intern teachers.

According to the proposed National Budget for the 2026/27 Financial Year, CS Mbadi has set aside 4,920 million for the conversion of intern teachers to permanent and pensionable.

Hiring will take effect from January 1, 2027, if the National Assembly approves the proposed budget.

In addition, Mbadi has also budgeted Ksh8.16 billion for the provision of intern teachers in the next financial year.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated Ksh406.6 billion to pay teachers’ salaries and their medical insurance between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027.

The Treasury Boss set aside Ksh54.6 billion for free day secondary education, Ksh30.9 billion for Junior Secondary School capitation, Ksh7 billion for free primary education capitation and Ksh9.9 billion for the school feeding programme.

Mbadi has proposed an allocation of Ksh56 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and another Ksh30 billion marked as ‘Scholarship for University Students’.

The proposed budget for the 2026/27 Financial Year also includes a Ksh9.2 billion allotment for the scholarships of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students.

The move to set aside funds for the confirmation of intern teachers was pushed by threats by intern teachers to down their tools.

Since 20255, the teachers have been pushing for their confirmation, citing low pay. They argued that the Ksh17,000 was not enough to sustain them or their families.

They also claimed that working on contract denies them access to perks enjoyed by those hired permanently.

However, TSC extended their contracts by four months instead, with the government stating that it did not have the funds to absorb all interns.