- Public Teacher Training Colleges have remained closed to fresh KCSE graduates for the September 2026 intake, admitting only serving teachers seeking upgrades.
- The suspension has been linked to concerns over an already large pool of trained teachers awaiting employment.
- KUCCPS has reopened applications for other institutions, including KMTC, TVET colleges, universities and the Open University of Kenya, offering alternative pathways for affected candidates.
Fresh KCSE graduates seeking admission to public Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) will not be admitted in the September 2026 intake, following the continued suspension of new student recruitment.
The freeze affects the country’s 35 public TTCs, with the colleges expected to admit only serving teachers seeking to upgrade their qualifications. Under the current arrangement, Primary Teacher Education (PTE) certificate holders, commonly known as P1 teachers, can pursue diploma training, while other upgrading programmes will also continue.
The decision has been linked to concerns over the number of teachers currently undergoing training and the growing pool of trained teachers awaiting employment. The continued suspension means candidates who sat their KCSE examinations in 2025 will not be able to secure places in public TTCs through the September 2026 intake.
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Private teacher training colleges operate separately from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) placement process and may advertise vacancies directly. However, prospective students have been advised to confirm with individual institutions whether they are licensed and authorised to admit new trainees for the 2026 academic year. The suspension also affects candidates who may have been planning to pursue diploma training in primary teacher education after meeting the required KCSE grades.
Meanwhile, KUCCPS has reopened applications for selected programmes in other institutions, including the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, universities and the Open University of Kenya.
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The continued closure of fresh TTC admissions is expected to affect thousands of KCSE graduates who had hoped to join the teaching profession, leaving them to consider alternative training opportunities as they await any review of the Government’s policy.
Candidates have been advised to rely on official communication from the Ministry of Education, KUCCPS and individual institutions before making applications or paying fees for teacher-training programmes.
By Kithinji Njeru
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