Wetangula: Ruto has hired more teachers in less time than predecessors

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has lauded the Kenya Kwanza administration for employing 76,000 new teachers during President William Ruto’s two-year tenure — a move he termed unprecedented.

Speaking in Igembe North, Meru County, Wetangula said the recent recruitments are proof that the current administration prioritises education.

According to him, another 24,000 teachers will be added to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) payroll in the current financial year, bringing the total number of teachers employed within three years of the current regime to 100,000.

“Since President Ruto came to power, it is true that he has hired 76,000 teachers in two years. In the current budget, we have allocated funds to employ an additional 24,000 teachers so that we have a total of 100,000 teachers employed within three years,” Wetangula said.

“Such has not been witnessed in this country since independence,” he added.

Wetangula echoed similar sentiments by President William Ruto, who revealed that the new tutors may be recruited by January 2026 to address the biting teacher shortage that has led to understaffing in various schools across the country.

However, Ruto was quick to note budget strains that have limited the number of teachers absorbed in each recruitment cycle, despite the high number of qualified but unemployed teachers.

“Kenyans asked me to streamline matters in the education sector, including challenges facing transition to the Competency Based Curriculum. We’ve had issues with understaffing, inadequate school infrastructure, while universities lacked money,” said Ruto.

In the approved 2025/2026 budget, the TSC has been allocated Sh387 billion, out of which Sh7.2 billion is earmarked for hiring intern teachers.