When Sylvia Moige returned to school after her maternity leave in 2019, she carried with her the mixed emotions of new motherhood and the quiet hope of continuing a career she loved. Instead, she was met with heartbreak.
Her teaching position at a secondary school in Kisii County, where she had been employed on a Board of Management (BOM) contract, had been given to someone else. Her maternity leave—meant to be a time of rest and renewal—had cost her the job she depended on.
“I was hired at a school in Kisii County. I went on maternity leave, and when I came back, I was told someone else had taken over my job. I could not continue,” she recalls. “I felt really bad because when you are on BOM terms, there is no job security at all.”
That painful episode marked the beginning of five difficult years of uncertainty, rejection, and perseverance.
Sylvia graduated from Kisii University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education (Biology and Chemistry). Teaching was not her first choice—she had dreamed of becoming a doctor—but limited finances forced her to accept the course she was placed in by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS). Still, she embraced it wholeheartedly, determined to make a difference.
Between 2019 and 2023, Sylvia applied for teaching positions under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) multiple times, but each attempt ended in disappointment.
“The first one was in 2019, immediately when TSC rolled out the internship program. I applied but didn’t get it. I tried again in 2020, 2022… I was not lucky,” she says.
To survive, she took short-term BOM contracts, teaching for meagre pay that often came late. Even as others gave up, Sylvia refused to lose hope.
“Every rejection was painful, but I told myself that maybe next time I would be lucky,” she adds. “I just couldn’t stop believing.”
Her persistence finally paid off in 2023, when President William Ruto’s administration fulfilled its pledge to hire 15,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms. After submitting her online application, Sylvia received the news she had waited years to hear—her name was on the list.
“That day, I felt like my whole world changed,” she says with a smile. “It was not just a job—it was dignity, security, and a second chance at my dream. I thank President Ruto for keeping his promise of employing teachers.”
Today, Sylvia teaches Biology and Chemistry at Loresho Secondary School in Nairobi County, where her students see not just a teacher, but a living example of perseverance.
“I wanted to be a doctor, and now I teach Biology and Chemistry. It’s fulfilling because I’ve taught students who are now studying medicine. I feel like I’ve lived my dream in another way.”
According to Acting TSC CEO Evaleen Mitei, Sylvia’s story mirrors that of thousands of teachers who have finally found stability through recent education reforms.
“We have recruited 76,000 teachers between 2022 and now. Before that, the government could only fund 5,000 per year,” Mitei explained. “At that rate, teachers like Sylvia would have waited two decades to be absorbed. The new policy has opened up opportunities for thousands.”
TSC Chairperson Dr. Jamleck Muturi emphasized that the recruitment drive is not just about jobs but also about improving learning outcomes and teacher-student ratios across schools.
“The first important person in any curriculum implementation is the teacher,” he said. “Recruitment has helped reduce the teacher-pupil ratio and improved instructional quality.”
President William Ruto has also praised teachers as “Kenya’s greatest patriots”, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to improving their welfare.
“Teachers spend extra hours shaping the destiny of our children,” Ruto said recently. “We will continue to make education central to our administration’s agenda.”
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, himself a former lecturer, echoed the sentiment.
“Teachers are the only people I know who lose sleep because of the children of others,” Kindiki said. “They are selfless, patriotic, and give their all for the sake of others.”
For Sylvia, every morning she stands before her class is a silent victory over years of struggle and rejection. Her story is a reflection of countless Kenyan teachers who continue to serve with faith and resilience.
“When I step into class and see my students’ faces, I know everything I went through was worth it,” she says softly. “I teach not just science, but hope.”
