A petition challenging the remuneration and treatment of graduate teacher interns under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has hit a procedural setback after the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly of Kenya advised the petitioner to await the outcome of an ongoing court case.
In a letter dated February 19, 2026, the Office of the Clerk acknowledged receipt of a petition filed by Kipkirui Luin, which sought parliamentary intervention over what the petitioner described as unconstitutional exploitation and discriminatory remuneration of graduate teacher interns employed by the TSC.
However, Parliament indicated that the matter could not proceed because the issues raised in the petition are already before a court of law.
According to the letter, the Petitions to Parliament (Procedure) Act, 2012, and Standing Order 223(1)(g) require petitioners to disclose whether the courts or other legal bodies are currently handling similar matters.
The Office of the Clerk stated that Mr Luin had acknowledged in his submission that there is an ongoing legal case challenging the Teachers Service Commission’s internship model.
“In light of this, you are advised to allow the judicial process to run its full course and await the final determination of the issues currently before the court,” the letter from the Clerk’s office reads in part.
Petition Claims Graduate Teachers Are Exploited
The response effectively means that Parliament will not consider the petition until the court process is concluded, as parliamentary rules discourage debate on matters that are under judicial consideration.
Reacting to the development, the petitioner maintained that the issue remains critical for thousands of graduate teachers working under internship arrangements.
“This petition was meant to highlight what many young teachers experience daily — working under difficult conditions with pay that does not match their qualifications,” Luin said.
He argued that the internship model has created uncertainty among trained teachers seeking permanent employment.
“Graduate teachers have invested years in training, yet many remain stuck in temporary internship positions with limited financial security,” he added.
Education stakeholders say the issue has become one of the most debated in the teaching profession in recent years.
“The internship programme was introduced as a transition mechanism, but the discussion now is whether it has become a long-term substitute for proper employment,” an education policy analyst observed.
Others say the issue should be addressed comprehensively once the court ruling is delivered.
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“The court’s determination will be crucial in clarifying whether the current internship framework complies with labour and constitutional protections,” another observer noted.
Despite the procedural hurdle in Parliament, the petitioner insists the issue will remain alive in the national debate.
“Even if Parliament cannot intervene now, the concerns raised in this petition will continue to shape the conversation on fairness for graduate teachers,” Luin said.
By Joseph Mambili
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