Wycliffe Musinde
Nairobi.
Thousands of Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers have threatened to boycott classes when schools reopen on January 6, 2026, unless the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) confirms them to permanent and pensionable terms without delay.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a seven-day strike notice demanding the immediate release of pending funds, full implementation of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and the conversion of all JSS interns to permanent employment.
Teachers have rejected President William Ruto’s recent proposal to extend their internship contracts by two more years, calling it a violation of their original one-year terms and an attempt to lock them into low pay. JSS interns currently earn between KSh17,000 and KSh20,000 per month.
Protests have been staged across several counties in recent weeks. In Uasin Gishu, Embu, Trans Nzoia, and Murang’a, JSS teachers held demonstrations vowing not to report to work in January unless their status is regularised; similar sentiments have been echoed in Kitale, Eldoret, and other regions.
The intern teachers said they have also planned a major demonstration in Nairobi on Thursday to escalate pressure on the government.
Teachers have also raised concerns that placing JSS under primary school management has created administrative confusion, limited professional autonomy, and led to unequal handling of co-curricular activities.
A possible breakthrough emerged when Suna West MP Peter Masara announced that Parliament had secured funding to allow TSC to confirm all JSS intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms before January 1, 2026.
Speaking during a live television interview, Masara said Parliament had provided the necessary budgetary allocation to ensure TSC proceeds with the confirmation process without further delay. He urged teachers to remain calm, noting that consultations between Parliament, the Ministry of Education, and TSC were at an advanced stage.
Despite the assurance, many teachers remain sceptical, citing a history of unfulfilled promises.
With the seven-day strike notice set to expire around November 24, 2025, the education sector is bracing for potential disruption that could affect more than two million Grade 7–9 learners when schools reopen in January. TSC is yet to issue an official response to the strike notice.