Benefits on wage increases for teachers under Sh13b agreement.
Teachers in urban areas are set to be the biggest winners in the government’s Sh13 billion salary and allowances adjustment, which marks the final phase of the 2021-2025 pay agreement.
According to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), educators in major cities like Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Eldoret will enjoy substantial housing allowances ranging from Sh4,500 to Sh50,000. Teachers stationed in Nairobi stand to benefit the most, with the highest earners receiving a housing allowance of Sh50,000, while the lowest-paid will receive Sh6,750.
This information comes from a circular issued on August 29 by TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia. The document highlights that teachers in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi, and Kitale will receive housing allowances between Sh4,500 and Sh35,000.
The circular also notes that TSC has streamlined the clustering of teachers’ allowances, reducing the number of clusters from four to three. Nairobi remains in the top tier (Cluster 1), while other cities are now grouped under Cluster 2. Teachers in all other regions fall into Cluster 3, where housing allowances range from Sh3,850 to Sh25,000.
While this housing allowance adjustment is a significant financial boost, particularly for those in high-cost urban areas, it may still fall short in Cluster 3, where the allowance might not fully cover housing costs. This shortfall could potentially strain the finances of teachers in these regions.
There are concerns from various stakeholders that the disparity in allowances across clusters could contribute to differences in the quality of life for teachers in different areas. Despite these concerns, the adjustments also include other benefits such as commuter, hardship, disability, and annual leave allowances.
Teachers will receive commuter allowances between Sh4,000 and Sh16,000, and annual leave allowances ranging from Sh4,000 to Sh10,000. Teachers with disabilities will receive a flat rate of Sh20,000, while those in hardship areas will receive allowances between Sh6,600 and Sh38,100.
The circular also outlines new salary scales, with increases ranging from Sh393 to Sh2,570, following a similar increment in the previous year under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). However, teachers in five pay grades—C4, C5, D4, and D5—will not see any salary increase.
Under the new deal, the lowest-ranked teachers in Grade B5 will receive a pay rise of Sh1,037, bringing their salary from Sh22,793 to Sh23,830. Teachers in job group C1 will see an increase of Sh1,296, raising their salary to Sh29,787. In job group C2, salaries will rise by Sh1,666, from Sh36,621 to Sh38,286. Teachers in C3 will now earn a minimum of Sh45,671, up from Sh44,413. The lowest earners in job group C4 will get Sh52,308, while those in C5 will receive Sh62,272.
The smallest increments will go to teachers in the D1 job group, who will see a rise of Sh393, from Sh78,233 to Sh78,625. D2 will see a Sh1,455 increase, from Sh91,769 to Sh92,496, and D3 will get a Sh1,399 boost, bringing their salary from Sh105,344 to Sh106,043.
These adjustments reflect the government’s efforts to enhance teachers’ compensation through the Sh13 billion pay increase agreement.
