Details of TSC’s New Teacher Agreement
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has implemented a series of pay increases and housing allowance reclassifications for educators in Kenya, effective retroactively from July 1, 2024. These changes, part of the second phase of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), bring mixed results for different job grades, with some educators seeing more significant pay hikes than others.
Primary school teachers in Job Grade B5, who are among the lowest-paid, will benefit the most from these adjustments, with a salary increase of 4.5%. This raise will bring their pay from Sh22,793 to Sh23,830, alongside a housing allowance of Sh3,850. In contrast, teachers in the highest job grade of D5, such as Chief Principals, will receive more modest increases ranging from 1.9% to 3.1%, with their salaries rising by amounts between Sh3,005 and Sh4,056.
However, not all job categories will benefit equally from these changes. For instance, educators in Job Grade D3, which includes positions like Principals and Deputy Principals, will experience the smallest salary increment—just Sh861, bringing their pay from Sh105,182 to Sh106,043. Similarly, those in Job Grade C5, encompassing roles such as Senior Master III, Senior Lecturer III, and Head Teacher, will see salary increases ranging from Sh984 to Sh2,608.
Despite these salary adjustments, other benefits like annual leave, hardship, and commuter allowances remain unchanged. This static approach to allowances may disappoint many educators who had hoped for broader financial improvements across all aspects of their compensation packages.
The reclassification of housing allowances has also led to reductions for certain teachers, particularly those in higher job grades. For example, Senior Principals in Job Grade D4 who are located in Cluster 1 (Nairobi) will see their housing allowance decrease from Sh50,000 to Sh45,000. Those in Cluster 2, which includes cities like Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, will experience a reduction of Sh7,000 in their housing allowance. Additionally, educators in Cluster 3, covering all other regions, will receive Sh21,000, down by Sh4,000 from their previous allocation. The TSC has also eliminated Cluster 4’s housing allowances, merging them into Cluster 3, which affects approximately 87% of educators who work in rural areas.
This realignment of allowances and the varying levels of salary increases have sparked tension between the teachers’ unions and TSC. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) have expressed dissatisfaction with the changes, particularly regarding the unequal distribution of raises and the cuts in housing allowances for certain job groups. The standoff escalated last week when union representatives walked out of negotiations, accusing TSC of failing to meet their demands.
TSC’s Chief Executive, Nancy Macharia, attributed the delayed implementation of Phase II of the CBA to budget cuts across government ministries and agencies. While the pay increases and reclassified allowances offer some financial relief, the uneven benefits and reductions in housing allowances underscore the ongoing challenges in meeting the diverse needs of Kenya’s educators.
