The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has launched one of its largest recruitment drives as it seeks to address teacher shortages across Kenya. In an effort to improve the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, the Commission has advertised 54,016 teaching vacancies.

The vacancy announcement, released on July 28, 2026, is part of government efforts to address the shortage of teachers in the country amid challenges reported in the implementation of the new education curriculum.

According to the announcement, 34,016 positions will be filled through promotions across various teaching cadres, while 20,000 teachers will be recruited to fill vacancies in Junior Secondary schools. The vacancies cut across 30 teaching cadres, with the Senior Teacher II category receiving the largest share with 13,490 positions.

TSC has instructed interested candidates to submit applications through the Commission’s website by August 31, 2026. Applicants are required to have attained a C+ mean grade in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), be registered with the Teachers Service Commission, and have scored a C+ in two teaching subjects.

“Successful candidates shall be posted to learning institutions where the vacancies are available,” the Commission said.

The Teachers Service Commission added that the recruitment process will be conducted fairly and on merit, while warning applicants against fraudsters claiming they can influence the outcome of the recruitment process.

Some of the positions being filled include 3,075 Deputy Head Teacher II, 1,865 Deputy Head Teacher I, 891 Deputy Principal II, 1,068 Deputy Principal III, and 1,665 Senior Master III vacancies.

Besides promotions across various teaching cadres, the recruitment of 20,000 teachers for Junior Secondary schools is expected to strengthen the implementation of Kenya’s new education curriculum.

Introduced in 2017 by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system was designed to replace the 32-year-old 8-4-4 system, shifting from an exam-focused approach to a skills-based learning framework.

Although the Teachers Service Commission has invested in retraining teachers to adapt to the new education framework, teacher shortages remain a major challenge affecting its implementation. To address staffing gaps in Senior Secondary schools, TSC has proposed policy and staffing changes, including reviewing the two-subject rule, while also encouraging universities to introduce more high-demand teacher training courses.

While Kenya’s teacher shortage has been linked to retirements and natural attrition, the rollout of Grade 10 and Senior Secondary schools under the new curriculum has increased demand for more teachers.

Specialized pathways such as STEM and Sports and Arts continue to experience some of the highest staffing shortages. As the Commission moves to recruit more teachers, the success of the Competency-Based Education system will depend on the quality of graduate and diploma teachers recruited to support the new curriculum.