President William Ruto has acknowledged major gaps in Kenya's rollout of Junior Secondary School, admitting that the new level of education was introduced without adequate classrooms, laboratories and a clearly settled institutional home.
Speaking at the World Teachers' Day celebrations at Kasarani in Nairobi on Monday, Ruto said the country embarked on the JSS transition before putting in place the infrastructure and arrangements needed to support it. He also acknowledged the uncertainty that had surrounded where Junior School would be domiciled, an issue that has since become central to the debate over comprehensive schools, teacher deployment and the future structure of basic education.
JSS has already exposed shortages of classrooms, laboratories, learning materials and teachers in many schools. The transition has also raised questions about the professional deployment of teachers, career progression, workload and the relationship between primary and secondary sections within comprehensive schools. For learners, the more immediate reality is that they must continue with their education while schools adjust to new grades, new pathways and new demands, sometimes within facilities originally designed for a different population.
Ruto said the Government was addressing part of the problem by expanding the teaching workforce. He announced that another 20,000 teachers will be recruited before the end of 2026, taking the number recruited under his administration to about 120,000. He also announced a Sh4.9 billion allocation to move 20,000 teachers who have served for two years onto permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.
Ruto said his administration inherited a substantial teacher deficit at a time when learner enrolment was growing, and the education sector was undergoing a major structural transformation. He also directed a review of school capitation, noting that the current funding framework dates back to 2015 and does not adequately reflect the changing cost of education. The proposed review is expected to consider funding for primary schools, JSS and secondary schools.
The President also addressed teacher welfare, saying the Government is working towards ensuring that teachers and other public servants receive retirement benefits within 10 days once the new pension-management arrangements are fully operational. The commitment comes as teachers continue to raise concerns over remuneration, promotions, professional development, workloads and career progression.
Ruto also spoke about the financial difficulties facing public universities and the need for a more sustainable funding framework for universities, TVET institutions and other tertiary institutions. His remarks came as university lecturers remained embroiled in a dispute over pay and the implementation of collective bargaining agreements.
The Government has already completed the JSS transition, with millions of learners now within the new system. Ruto's admission that JSS was introduced without adequate preparation comes as the sector looks to the review of capitation, the recruitment of additional teachers and improvements in retirement benefits to address the pressure on schools.
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