Permanent Hiring After Two Years: Ruto Issues Fresh Directive on JSS Intern Teachers
President William Ruto has moved to reassure thousands of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers amid mounting anxiety over their employment status and concerns about possible disruptions to next year’s academic calendar.
Speaking during a Thursday evening press briefing, the President confirmed that all JSS interns will be transitioned to permanent and pensionable terms after completing two years of service — a directive he said was “non-negotiable”.
“We decided that the JSS interns would be hired on permanent and pensionable basis after two years of service; no negotiation,” President Ruto said. He urged the media to relay the message clearly to the affected teachers, adding: “I want you to give assurance to every intern that once two years are over, there is no negotiation, no back and forth — straight into permanent and pensionable.”
The President’s remarks come at a time when more than 20,000 JSS teachers are pressing for confirmation, arguing that the government had previously signalled they would be absorbed permanently after just one year. Many of them are nearing the end of their internship contracts, heightening concerns about job security and the stability of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) rollout.
Despite Ruto’s earlier pledge in 2024 that all JSS teachers would be placed on permanent terms before the end of that year, the plan did not materialise — leaving teachers frustrated and prompting renewed agitation in recent months.
Last year’s nationwide strike by JSS interns significantly escalated the issue, forcing Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee to intervene. In June 2024, then committee chairperson Ndindi Nyoro said the Treasury had already allocated sufficient funding in the 2024/25 financial year to facilitate the absorption of all JSS teachers under permanent and pensionable terms. However, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is yet to complete the confirmation process.
The latest pledge from State House appears aimed at diffusing tensions that have been steadily rising within the education sector. Teachers have also been demanding structural reforms, including full autonomy for JSS and a clear separation from both primary and senior secondary institutions.
On September 20, JSS teachers renewed calls for a distinct administrative framework, arguing that the government’s decision to domicile junior secondary within primary schools had created operational confusion — especially around co-curricular activities, management roles, and chain-of-command issues.
As the 2025 academic calendar approaches, Ruto’s directive is widely seen as an attempt to restore calm and provide clarity. Still, teachers say they will wait to see whether the government follows through on what has become a long-standing promise.
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Permanent Hiring After Two Years: Ruto Issues Fresh Directive on JSS Intern Teachers