The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) requires Kshs 14.8 billion annual budgetary allocation for recruitment of teachers.

TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Njeru Macharia said this when she appeared before the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration to apprise them on the recent recruitment of Teachers.

She pointed out that currently the country is facing a shortage of 111,870 teachers who needs to be recruited over a period of five years.

"To achieve this,the Commission requires annual budgetary allocation of Kshs 14.8billion for recruitment of teachers as an intervention measures.

The TSC boss informed the committee that the Commission received Authority from the National Treasury to recruit 30,000 teachers to alleviate the shortage of teachers in the country in January 2023.

Additionally,Macharia added,in the financial year 2022/2033 the Commission was allocated a budget for recruitment of 6000 teacher interns (4000 for Secondary and 2000 for primary) bringing the total to 36000 teachers recruited.

In an interim report presented to the Committee which was led by Turkana Senator ,James Lomenen also showed partial ethnic composition of 20,990 who were recently hired.

The TSC asked the Committee for more time to bring a comprehensive report on ethnic composition of the over 36,000 teachers hired.

Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and his Tharaka Nithi Counterpart Sen Gataya Mwenda Mo Fire said it was not financially viable for the government to set aside that amount of money for recruitment of teachers.

"TSC needs to defer recruitment of permanent and pensionable teachers and instead conduct mass recruitment of teachers on contract basis and gradually absorb them on permanent basis,"Sen Mandago suggested.

Sen.Mofire opined that TSC should also hire interns and gradually absorb them on contract or permanent basis to alleviate the shortage of teachers.

Sen Mandago also advised the TSC boss to bring any amendments to the Senate on any law that Is impeding their work adding that education is a universal right to every citizen and nothing should stop Kenyans from enjoying those rights.

The Committee requested the TSC to provide them with a comprehensive list of ethnic composition of teachers who were recently recruited.