President William Ruto has moved to calm growing anxiety among Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, confirming that all interns will transition to permanent and pensionable terms after completing two years of service.
Speaking on Thursday evening, the President said the policy is now a firm government directive aimed at stabilising the teaching workforce and safeguarding the delivery of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“We decided that JSS interns will be hired on permanent and pensionable terms after two years of service no negotiation,” Ruto stated, urging the media to reassure teachers whose internship contracts are nearing expiry.
The announcement comes at a tense moment, with over 20,000 JSS interns pushing for confirmation amid fears of disruptions to next year’s school calendar. The teachers have long argued that they deserved permanent terms after one year, as earlier promised, but the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had not implemented the change.
Ruto’s latest assurance revives a pledge he made in 2024, when his administration said all JSS teachers would transition to permanent terms before the year ended a commitment that stalled due to budget constraints and administrative delays.
The concerns over job security intensified last year after JSS teachers staged a nationwide strike, prompting the Budget and Appropriations Committee to direct the TSC to regularise their employment. Then-chairperson Ndindi Nyoro confirmed that Parliament had allocated sufficient funds in the 2024/2025 financial year for their absorption.
This year, teachers have renewed calls for a fully independent JSS system, arguing that anchoring the curriculum in primary schools has caused administrative confusion. They want standalone structures for JSS, including separate leadership and clear guidelines on co-curricular activities.
As the government moves to honour its latest commitment, teachers say they hope the directive will finally bring stability and dignity to their work environment as JSS continues to take shape under the CBC framework.
 teachers, confirming that all interns will transition to permanent and pensionable terms after completing two years of service.){kind=link}