Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers, together with other teachers and officials from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) from Bomet County, on Monday held a peaceful demonstration in Bomet town to demand that the government confirm more than 20,000 JSS intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms.
The teachers, who marched through the streets of Bomet carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, said they were frustrated by what they termed as “unending delays and shifting promises” by the government regarding their employment status.
YOUTUBE VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1x66vV3DN8
Speaking during the protest, KUPPET Bomet Branch Executive Secretary Paul Kimetto said it was disappointing that the contracts of the JSS interns were set to expire at the end of this month, yet the government had not fulfilled its pledge to confirm them.
“It is unfortunate that these contracts are coming to an end and there is still no communication on confirmation,” Kimetto said.
He added: “These intern teachers have done a commendable job across the country, and the TSC itself is fully aware of the value they bring to our schools.”
YOUTUBE VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q91NjHOBBbk
Kimetto warned that learning might not resume smoothly in January if the government fails to act promptly.
“If the government does not confirm these teachers before schools reopen, then they should not expect learning to continue as usual,” he stated.
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KUPPET Bomet Chairperson Ernest Kirui also criticized the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for allegedly going against its own policy guidelines.
“According to the letters issued to interns, the terms were clear—one year of internship followed by confirmation. There was no mention of an extension,” Kirui said. “We are telling the government and TSC to stop shifting policies whenever it suits them.”
YOUTUBE VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/vkuSyGgTqiQ
JSS teacher Geoffrey Kirui urged the government to take immediate action, insisting that confirmation must be done before January 2026 to avoid a major disruption in the education sector.
“If the government fails to confirm us, we will have no option but to embark on what will be the mother of all strikes,” he warned. “Extending our contracts instead of confirming us is unfair, exploitative, and detrimental to the entire education system.”
The teachers vowed to continue pushing until their demands are met, insisting that the future of JSS learners depends heavily on a stable and motivated teaching workforce.
By Philip Koech
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