The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has presented a Sh422.9 billion budget proposal for the 2026/2027 financial year to the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education.
The commission’s priorities include addressing a significant medical funding gap and expanding the teaching workforce.TSC Acting CEO Evaleen Mitei revealed a Sh10 billion deficit in the budget for teachers’ medical insurance:Â
The requested amount is Sh26.5 billion (the actuarial cost provided by the Social Health Authority).Allocated Amount is Sh16.5 billion in the current Budget Policy Statement.
In the current status, more than 400,000 teachers and 1 million dependents have been transitioned from the private Minet scheme to the Social Health Authority (SHA) as of December 1, 2025.
TSC warned that the current shortfall may jeopardize the medical deal and limit access to services for newly recruited staff.Â
The commission plans to recruit 16,000 additional teachers for Junior and Senior Schools (JSS) at an estimated cost of Sh1.9 billion to address the national deficit of approximately 116,000 teachers.Â
The intern conversion budget is Sh7.2 billion requested to convert 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.The teacher promotions budget is Sh2 billion proposed for the promotion of teachers across various levels.
Retooling budget is Sh1.5 billion for training teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Junior and Senior Schools.
Unfunded insurance budget is Sh5.3 billion required for Group Life, Personal Accident, and Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) covers, which are currently unprovided for.
By Anthony Solly
