By Murugi Ndwiga
Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers in Embu County, under the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), have threatened to strike in January 2026 over the delayed confirmation of 20,000 intern teachers.
KUPPET is demanding that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education provide a clear roadmap for confirming the interns, warning that failure to act will leave them no choice but to down tools.
Addressing the press in Embu Town, KUPPET Embu Chapter Secretary-General Jacob Njiru Karuraa said the government had promised to absorb intern teachers into permanent, pensionable positions by December 2025. “JSS intern teachers must be confirmed immediately. Their contracts end on December 1st, 2025,” Karuraa stated.
He added that the extended internship period has left teachers struggling financially. “KSh 17,000 is not enough to pay bills, raise families, or sustain themselves. Some have had their houses locked. They cannot marry or start families. This is unsustainable,” he said.
Nancy Nzwili, a teacher from Makima, echoed the call, saying, “The government promised confirmation in December 2025. Our interns signed 12-month contracts expecting to be confirmed. No confirmation means no school in the first term of 2026.”
JSS intern teacher Calvin Mutugi from Nembure Junior School said, “We demand confirmation. KSh 17,000 is too little to survive in today’s economy. No confirmation, no term one.”
Read Also: https://safinews.co.ke/embu-senator-mundigi-blasts-gachagua-for-stoking-political-tension/
Similarly, Kinyua Njeru from Kiambere School in Mbeere South warned, “We signed 12-month contracts, not 24. The government must honor its promise.”
The union says if no action is taken, the industrial action will kick off at the start of the 2026 school term, potentially paralyzing schools across Embu County.