TSC to Recruit Additional 500 Teachers for ASAL Counties, Says CS Ogamba.
The Teachers service Commission (TSC) will recruit an additional 500 teachers over and above the teacher allocation quotas for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has revealed that the move is aimed at addressing persistent teacher shortages in underserved regions, has said.
The additional recruitment will target counties including Marsabit, Mandera, and Isiolo, with the objective of improving staffing levels in public schools serving marginalized and minority communities.
Mr Ogamba disclosed the plan while appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, where he responded to questions raised by Nominated Senator Betty Syengo regarding access to education and infrastructure development for the Daasanach community in Marsabit County.
Additional Teachers to Address Staffing Gaps
According to Mr Ogamba, the recruitment of the 500 teachers follows a commitment made by President William Ruto to strengthen education services in ASAL counties experiencing acute teacher shortages.
The Cabinet Secretary said the additional teachers will supplement the existing county teacher allocation quotas and help bridge staffing gaps in public schools located in remote areas.
“To improve access to education and infrastructure development for the community, the government has implemented a number of interventions including a pledge by President William Ruto to employ additional 500 teachers over and above the quotas set for all counties,” Mr Ogamba told the committee.
He noted that the intervention is expected to benefit schools within minority communities, including the Daasanach community living in Illeret Sub-County of Marsabit County.
Illeret Sub-County Education Status
Mr Ogamba informed the committee that the Daasanach community predominantly occupies Illeret Sub-County, which became operational in 2025 after being separated from the larger North Horr Sub-County.
To strengthen education management and service delivery, the Ministry of Education has deployed a Sub-County Director of Education to the area.
The Cabinet Secretary stated that five public schools currently serve the Daasanach community:
- Illeret Senior School
- Telesgaye Primary and Junior School
- Illeret Primary and Junior School
- El Boloch Primary School
- Aibete Primary School
Illeret Senior School Staffing and Enrollment
Mr Ogamba said Illeret Senior School was established in 2022 as the first senior school serving the Daasanach community.
The school currently has:
- 96 learners
- 79 boys
- 17 girls
- Five Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers
- Two Board of Management (BOM) teachers
- Total teaching staff: Seven teachers
Documents tabled before the committee, chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute, confirmed the staffing figures.
Enrollment and Teacher Distribution in Primary and Junior Schools
The Cabinet Secretary said the four primary and junior schools have a combined enrollment of 1,477 learners comprising:
- 891 boys
- 586 girls
The Ministry of Education provided the following staffing data:
Telesgaye Primary and Junior School
- Student population: 1,113 learners
- Teachers:
- Eight Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers
Illeret Primary and Junior School
- Student population: 1,246 learners
- Teachers:
- Twelve Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers
- One Board of Management (BOM) teacher
El Boloch Primary School
- Student population: 468 learners
- Teachers:
- Five Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers
- One Board of Management (BOM) teacher
Aibete Primary School
- Student population: 220 learners
- Teachers:
- Three Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers
Concerns Raised by the Senate Committee
Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute questioned the Ministry on measures being undertaken to increase the number of teachers deployed to Marsabit County, particularly Illeret Sub-County.
The senator stated that Illeret, which borders Turkana County, has remained underserved due to its remote location.
“What are you doing as a Ministry to post teachers and improve infrastructure in this forgotten community?” Senator Chute asked.
Government Interventions in Illeret
Responding to the committee, Mr Ogamba outlined several interventions being implemented by the Ministry of Education to improve education access and infrastructure within the area.
The interventions include:
- Recruitment of an additional 500 teachers above county allocation quotas for ASAL counties.
- Operationalization of Illeret Sub-County following its establishment in 2025.
- Deployment of a Sub-County Director of Education to strengthen quality assurance, monitoring, and education management.
- Establishment of Illeret Senior School to improve transition to senior secondary education.
- Continued disbursement of school capitation funds.
- Implementation of school feeding programmes.
- Construction of two classrooms at Telesgaye Primary School and Illeret Primary School funded by the Ministry of Education at a cost of Sh1 million for each classroom.
- Construction of a laboratory at Illeret Senior School through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund at a cost of Sh5 million.
- Construction of an additional laboratory funded by the Ministry of Education at a cost of Sh2.9 million.
- Provision of teaching and learning materials, including textbooks at a ratio of one textbook per learner in every core learning area.
Mr Ogamba told the committee that the government will continue implementing the outlined interventions as part of efforts to improve access to quality education and strengthen education infrastructure in remote and marginalized communities within ASAL counties.
TSC to Recruit Additional 500 Teachers for ASAL Counties, Says CS Ogamba.
