A newly released report assessing the state of Kenya’s education sector has revealed a staggering shortage of more than 111,000 teachers across various education levels, with junior and secondary schools being the hardest hit.
According to the “Rapid Assessment of Gaps in the Education Sector – July 2025” report, delivered by Dr. John Mugo, CEO of Zizi Afrique Foundation, and Dr. Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director of Usawa Agenda, the junior secondary level is currently operating with only 18,378 teachers against an optimal requirement of 83,899.
This reflects a critical shortfall of over 65,000 teachers a gap that significantly undermines the delivery of Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum.
The report, based on a combination of document review, secondary data analysis, and key informant interviews, also highlights severe disparities in teacher distribution.
At the secondary level, where the teacher shortfall stands at 63,871, only 35% of educators are female, underscoring persistent gender imbalances in school staffing.
Additionally, the report reveals that primary schools despite exceeding optimal teacher levels by 18,194 still face challenges in quality, training, and subject specialization.
The report warns that traditional hiring models are insufficient and calls for bold, innovative approaches such as public-private partnerships, community-led teacher deployment initiatives, and rethinking resource allocation to underserved areas like North Eastern Kenya.
It further identifies urgent systemic needs, including investment in digital infrastructure, laboratories, workshops, and modern WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities, as critical to achieving the promises of the new CBE model.
The report concludes with a call to action for government, donors, and stakeholders to adopt integrated, equity-driven strategies to address not only the quantity but also the quality and distribution of teachers across the country.
