Teachers have dismissed the latest salary adjustments under the second phase of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), saying the much-publicised pay review has translated into little change in their monthly earnings.
Many are now accusing their unions of accepting a deal that has failed to match expectations, after their latest payslips reflected increases ranging from just Sh693 to slightly above Sh2,000 depending on job grade and salary point.
The dissatisfaction emerged after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) rolled out the second phase of the CBA through a circular dated July 16. The commission directed regional, county and sub-county directors to implement the revised salary scales for all teachers who were in service by July 1, excluding interns.
The salary structure will remain in place until June 30, 2027, under the four-year agreement signed by TSC, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet).
While the agreement had been presented as a major boost for teachers, many now say the figures announced during negotiations are not reflected in the amounts they have actually received after statutory deductions.
The four-year CBA is worth Sh33.75 billion and covers salary reviews, structural changes and welfare provisions. It provides for an overall basic salary increase of between 16 per cent and 32 per cent, with the implementation spread across different phases. The government allocated Sh8.4 billion for the second phase.
Despite the allocation, teachers say deductions such as PAYE, the Housing Levy, Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) contributions and pension payments have reduced the value of the increments, leaving them with little improvement in disposable income.
Kuppet Vihiga Executive Secretary Sabala Inyeni said the salary review ignored the increasing cost of living and failed to address allowances that have remained unchanged for years.
“Then again, there are components of our earnings which were never given consideration. For instance, commuter allowance has remained the same for over 15 years since it was introduced, yet the cost of fuel has been rising monthly,” Inyeni said.
Teachers working in arid and semi-arid areas have also criticised the agreement, saying hardship allowance was left untouched despite the difficult conditions under which they serve.
The national secretary of the Kenya Teachers in Hardship and Arid Areas Welfare Association Ndung’u Wangenye said many teachers in those regions feel abandoned.
“One teacher told me she got an increment of 430 shillings. The unions gave teachers a raw deal. Teachers from Asals did not get any increment in hardship allowance, which is the only token that keeps them going in these hardship zones. They are demoralised,” said Wangenye.
Kuppet Deputy Secretary-General Moses Nthurima said teachers remain unhappy with the implementation of the agreement and the union is yet to receive the salary schedules to verify whether they match what was agreed during negotiations.
“Up to now, we have not received the schedules to ascertain whether that is what we agreed on. But in a nutshell, teachers are very dissatisfied,” Nthurima said.
“The conundrum is that the government has taken more money from teachers than it is injecting back. We have money for SHA, money for housing, money for NSSF. What teachers have lost through taxes and statutory deductions cannot be compared with what has been given through the CBA,” he said.
He said teachers still expect the government to honour its commitment to improve their earnings and restructure future salary reviews so they have a greater impact.
The implementation of the second phase also left several allowances unchanged, including house allowance, commuter allowance, hardship allowance, annual leave allowance, baggage allowance and disability guide allowance.
Teachers are now calling for fresh negotiations before the next phase of the agreement takes effect.
“The unions must engage the employer before July next year so that the CBA can be reviewed to address issues such as allowances. Teachers cannot wait until 2029 for solutions. We need meaningful improvements now,” said a teacher in Bungoma.
Another teacher in Nairobi said the latest adjustment does not reflect the expectations created during negotiations.
“For someone serving as a deputy principal, an increase of less that Sh1,000 is difficult to accept after a four-year CBA was negotiated. Teachers were made to believe this agreement would significantly improve their welfare, but the reality on the payslip is very different,” said a Nairobi teacher.
Teachers are also pushing for future collective bargaining agreements to be negotiated every two years instead of four.
“President [William] Ruto promised us that the CBA phases will be reduced from four to two years. It is very unfortunate that this is one of the many promises that have not been actualised by the president,” said Inyeni.