The Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has revealed that the government is exploring the option of integrating teachers currently employed under Boards of Management (BOMs) into the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure schools in hardship counties have adequate staffing.
Speaking on Tuesday on Elimu Mashinani programmen in Kilifi, Ogamba also highlighted ongoing efforts to rationalise teacher deployment to balance teacher numbers across all counties.
The move coincides with broader reforms in junior school education, which Ogamba says aim to expand access to quality learning throughout the country.
“Where we find that perhaps certain teachers are more in one area and less in another, we can deploy and ensure that we have covered that shortfall,” he added.
This comes amid government efforts to strengthen education in Kenya’s remote regions, which has been facing a persistent hurdle as teachers continue to avoid postings in hardship areas like Kilifi.
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Despite record recruitment numbers, schools in these counties are struggling to fill essential teaching positions due to security and living challenges.
Ogamba said that while the government has hired 76,000 teachers in recent years and plans to recruit an additional 24,000 by December 2025, some regions remain critically understaffed. He noted that many teachers simply refuse to take assignments in certain areas.
“In fact, there are instances where teachers do not even apply to be employed to come into this particular area,” he said.
The hardship areas shortfalls emerge due to security concerns, the issue which led the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to announce plans to arm chiefs and assistant chiefs in terror-prone areas such as Mandera before the end of 2025, to protect administrators and communities from extremist threats.
He added that the government is also strengthening border security with Ethiopia and Somalia through patrols, community engagement, and recruitment of National Police Reservists to maintain peace and safety in affected regions.
By Juma Ndigo
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