Nairobi, June 28 -- The Teachers Service Commission seeks to employ 14,460 teachers - the highest number in recent times - as it grapples with fixing the acute shortage of tutors in public primary and secondary schools.

The commission has declared 5,000 new vacancies that it intends to fill next month and 8,230 others to replace teachers who have exited service through natural attrition.

It will apply affirmative action in recruitment for schools in Garissa, Mandera and Wajir counties, which are greatly under-staffed and shunned by many because of security concerns.

Of the new vacancies, 3,972 will go to secondary schools to help cope with the shortage created by 100 per cent transition policy, 1,000 to primary institutions while teach...