The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has sparked outrage among unemployed teachers after it advertised 740 vacancies targeted exclusively at its internal staff. The announcement, published in the latest vacancy circular, has left thousands of jobless graduate teachers disappointed, as many had hoped for classroom-based openings in schools following years of unemployment.
Breakdown of the Vacancies
According to the official advertisement, the positions cut across various cadres within the Commission’s secretariat and county offices. These vacancies are designed to strengthen administrative capacity rather than absorb new teachers.
Major allocations include:
| Position | Number of Posts |
|---|---|
| Assistant Director Teacher Management (Field) | 269 |
| Officer II – Senior Clerical Officer | 155 |
| Assistant Officer – Senior Office Assistant | 117 |
| Principal Officer Human Resource Management | 24 |
| Assistant Officer – Clerical Officer I | 24 |
| Assistant Officer – Senior Driver | 16 |
In total, the advertised opportunities add up to 740 positions, all earmarked for internal staff already within the TSC system.
Why the Backlash?
Kenya has been grappling with an oversupply of trained teachers, many of whom remain unemployed despite graduating from teacher training colleges and universities. Estimates suggest that over 300,000 jobless teachers are still waiting for posting.
The expectation was that TSC would prioritize school-based recruitment to reduce the unemployment crisis. However, this latest advertisement has been viewed as a setback. Many unemployed teachers feel sidelined, especially as they continue to face financial struggles, while the Commission channels resources into administrative strengthening.
This frustration echoes grievances raised earlier during the 2025 TSC teacher promotion interviews, where thousands of teachers turned up with hopes for career progression, only for many to miss out despite high expectations.
Teachers’ Reactions
The announcement has sparked heated conversations across social media platforms. Jobless teachers expressed deep disappointment, with some of the sentiments including:
- “We have waited for years, yet TSC keeps recycling jobs for those already inside.”
- “This is unfair. Graduates are languishing without jobs, but the Commission is hiring more clerks and officers.”
- “If there are funds to hire 740 officers, why not post at least part of the unemployed teachers to schools facing shortages?”
These sentiments highlight the growing tension between TSC’s administrative priorities and the plight of teachers on the ground.
TSC’s Justification
The Commission maintains that the vacancies are necessary to enhance efficiency in service delivery and support its mandate of managing over 400,000 teachers nationwide. According to TSC, many of the advertised posts aim to strengthen human resource, ICT, legal, supply chain, audit, and clerical functions to handle the growing workload in both headquarters and county offices.
The circular emphasizes that shortlisted candidates will undergo a rigorous selection process and must present original academic and professional certificates, transcripts, and identification documents.
This mirrors the requirements set during the recent promotion interview process, where teachers had to present documentation for verification before being considered.
Balancing Administration and Classroom Needs
Education stakeholders have warned that administrative strengthening should not overshadow classroom needs. Kenya is still facing a teacher shortage, particularly in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), where teachers are handling overloaded timetables due to insufficient staffing.
Unemployed teachers argue that if resources are available to hire 740 secretariat staff, then TSC should also allocate funds for new classroom teacher recruitment. This concern is similar to those raised during the promotion interviews for primary school teachers, where staffing disparities between urban and rural schools came to light.
What Next for Jobless Teachers?
As the recruitment process for the 740 internal positions begins, unemployed teachers are expected to intensify lobbying through unions, policymakers, and social media. Both KNUT and KUPPET are likely to mount pressure on TSC to address the growing crisis of graduate unemployment.
The government may also face political pressure to allocate budgetary provisions for classroom recruitment, especially with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) requiring more staff in JSS and primary schools.
Until then, the newly advertised vacancies will only benefit existing TSC staff, leaving unemployed graduates on the sidelines once again.
Final Thoughts
The advertisement of 740 internal TSC vacancies has opened a new debate about the Commission’s priorities. While administrative efficiency is vital, unemployed teachers argue that the Commission should urgently balance this with classroom-based recruitment to address staffing shortages in schools.
The anger and disappointment expressed by teachers are a reminder that while reforms within the Commission are important, the heart of education lies in classrooms—not just in secretariat offices. Unless TSC moves swiftly to balance both needs, the teacher unemployment crisis may deepen, leading to further disillusionment among Kenya’s trained educators.
