TSC Nancy Macharia has on Thursday told Parliament that, they are set to recruit five thousand more teachers and ten thousand internship teachers in the next financial year, in a bid to reduce teacher shortage in various schools in Kenya.

The Teachers Service Commission has dedicated Sh2 billion to the hiring aligned to the governments’ 100 per cent transition policy.

CEO Nancy Macharia told MPs on Thursday another Sh1.2 billion would be spent on recruitment of 10,000 interns.

In her presentation of budget needs for the financial year 2020-21, the TSC boss said they intended to spend Sh1 billion in training on the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Treasury has allocated the commission Sh264.9 billion of which Sh262 billion is for salaries and Sh1.5 billion for supplies.

The commission will get Sh337 million for the acquisition of non-financial assets and another Sh600 million for the Secondary School Quality Improvement Project.

Macharia told MPs that TSC recruited 4,000 teachers in the current financial year, redeploying 1,000 from primary schools.

“The 1,000 have been replaced in the affected primary schools while 6, 000 interns have reported to their work stations,” the TSC boss said.

She said a shortage of funding as hampering TSC’s efforts to end teacher shortage, which currently stands at 48,173,  being 18.6 per cent of the national requirement.

Data presented to the Education committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly reveals that Kirinyaga rates highest in teacher staffing while Kakamega has the highest shortage at 3,544.

Governor Anne Waiguru’s county has a shortage of only 30 teachers, according to TSC. Other areas with negligible shortages are Laikipia at 241; Mombasa (229); Lamu (113) and Isiolo (78).

Bungoma has a shortage of 2,813, West Pokot needs 2,489 while Bomet is short of 2,813 teachers.

Narok county needs 2,272 to meet its establishment of 7,580; Homa Bay at 1,897 while whereas Turkana needs 1,762 more to bridge the student-teacher ratio.

Kwale has a shortage of 1,571; Migori (1,495); Nandi (1,441); Siaya (1,438); Makueni (1,398); Busia (1,381); Mandera (1,125); Kajiado (1,000); Kisumu (969); Baringo (907), and Machakos (897).

Kisii needs 848 more teachers to meets its needs; Wajir (847); Trans Nzoia (844); Vihiga (762); Kericho (727); and Meru (705);

Garissa county has a shortage of 687 teachers whereas Tana River needs 462 more; Marsabit (460);   Murang’a (423); Embu (367); Elgeyo Marakwet (347); Tharaka Nithi (336); Nyandarua (329); Nyeri (321) and Samburu (315).

Macharia lamented that the funds allocated this year, the Sh3.2 billion, is far short of the requirement.

“The funds are estimated to employ 5,000 new teachers for seven months and 10,000 interns for nine months,” the commission boss said.

She told the Melly-led committee that the commission projected recruitment of 40,000 interns at Sh4.8 billion.