The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has finalized the processing of July 2025 salaries for more than 400,000 teachers nationwide, reflecting the initial phase of salary adjustments under the newly negotiated 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The move follows the formal signing of a four-year deal worth Ksh33 billion by 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). However, despite this progress, KNUT has issued a stern warning, vowing to disrupt learning activities if the new salary structure is not reflected in this month’s payslips.
This unfolding situation has reignited the national debate on teachers salaries, the overall funding of the education sector, and the broader responsibilities of the government in addressing the long-standing plight of educators in Kenya.
The newly signed CBA is a culmination of months of negotiation and represents a landmark agreement in the education sector. Valued at Ksh33 billion, the CBA introduces phased salary increments, improved allowances for teachers handling special needs education, and expanded health insurance benefits.
Key highlights include:
The salary adjustments outlined in the new 2025–2029 CBA provide for increments ranging between 7% and 12%, tailored to each teacher’s job grade and years of service. This progressive structure aims to ensure equity by rewarding long-serving and higher-ranking educators with more significant pay increases, while also uplifting entry-level teachers.
Special needs education teachers will benefit from enhanced hardship and disability allowances. These enhancements acknowledge the additional responsibilities, emotional labour, and specialised skills required to support learners with disabilities, especially in under-resourced or high-stress environments.
Housing and commuter allowances have also been revised under the new agreement to reflect prevailing economic realities. The adjustments account for inflation and the varying cost of living across different counties, aiming to ease the financial pressure on teachers living and working in urban centres and remote hardship areas alike.
The implementation of the CBA will be phased over four years, beginning in July 2025 and running through June 2029. This staggered rollout is designed to allow the government to manage fiscal pressures while progressively meeting the contractual obligations to teachers without destabilising the broader national budget.
According to retiring TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia, the commission had factored in the first phase of the salary adjustment in July’s payroll. “The CBA has been programmed into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD) and will be reflected in the July salaries. We remain committed to honoring our part of the agreement,” she stated.
KNUT Insists There Is No Room For Delay In Teachers Salaries
Despite reassurances by TSC, KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu remains unconvinced. In a strongly worded press briefing, Oyuu said the union will not tolerate any delays in implementation. “If any teacher receives their July payslip without the revised salary, we will have no option but to call for a nationwide teachers’ strike. Teachers have waited long enough,” Oyuu declared.
KNUT’s aggressive posture stems from a history of unfulfilled promises and erratic implementation of past CBAs. The union insists that the current deal must be executed faithfully to restore the dignity of the teaching profession and protect learners from further disruption.
Key KUPPET, KUSNET, KNUT Concerns
KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori also weighed in, stating that the union will hold the TSC and the Ministry of Education accountable for every shilling committed in the CBA. “This is not just a financial document. It’s a social contract between the government and the teaching workforce. Breaching it undermines trust and motivation,” he said.
KUSNET, representing special needs education teachers, emphasized the need for timely and consistent disbursement of allowances critical to their specialized roles. “We face unique classroom dynamics that require differentiated support. Delays in allowance remittances compromise service delivery to vulnerable learners,” noted KUSNET Chairperson Mercy Mugo.
Teachers Salaries Have A Long History Of Delay and Struggle
Teachers salaries have long been a contentious issue in Kenya’s public discourse. Historically underpaid, many teachers endure overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and excessive workloads, especially in rural and marginalised areas. The average entry-level teacher earns between Ksh34,000 and Ksh41,000 per month, figures that unions argue fall below the threshold needed to maintain a decent standard of living.
Past CBAs have often faced implementation hurdles due to budgetary shortfalls, delayed approvals by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and shifting government priorities. As a result, trust between the teaching workforce and the government has steadily eroded.
What Is The Kenyan Government’s Budgetary Commitments to Education
In the 2025/26 financial year, the national government allocated Ksh656 billion to the education sector, representing about 26% of total recurrent expenditure. Of this, TSC received Ksh358 billion, with a significant portion earmarked for salaries and teacher deployment.
However, education experts argue that the funding, while sizeable, remains insufficient given the scale of reform needed. The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), expanding infrastructure needs, teacher training, and digital learning rollouts continue to place enormous pressure on available resources.
According to education economist Dr. Juliet Obonyo, “Kenya’s education financing model must evolve. Increasing enrollment, especially under free primary and subsidized secondary education, demands smarter investments, better fiscal discipline, and consistent funding pipelines.”
Education Sector Problems Are Beyond Salaries
The ongoing debate over teachers salaries has also exposed deeper structural challenges within Kenya’s education system that go far beyond remuneration. One of the most pressing issues is inadequate staffing. According to estimates by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), there is a shortage of more than 100,000 teachers across both primary and secondary schools. This deficit has resulted in overcrowded classrooms, stretching the capacity of existing educators and negatively affecting the quality of instruction.
Another significant concern is the inequitable distribution of teachers. Counties in remote and underserved regions such as Turkana, Marsabit, and Tana River continue to suffer from severe teacher shortages and high attrition rates. Factors such as insecurity, poor infrastructure, and limited access to basic services discourage teachers from accepting or retaining postings in these areas, perpetuating regional disparities in learning outcomes.
Infrastructure gaps further compound these challenges. Thousands of public schools across the country operate without essential facilities such as adequate classrooms, electricity, clean water, and basic learning materials. This lack of infrastructure not only affects teachers’ ability to deliver lessons effectively but also undermines students’ ability to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
Despite increased enrollment in recent years, Kenya still grapples with low learning outcomes. National assessments have consistently revealed poor literacy and numeracy skills among students at both primary and secondary levels. These outcomes indicate that simply increasing access to education is not enough, more focus must be placed on the quality of teaching and the learning environment to ensure meaningful educational progress.
What Needs to Be Done To Solve The Teachers Salaries Conundrum?
To build a resilient and equitable education system, the government must look beyond salary adjustments and implement comprehensive reforms. One critical recommendation is the establishment of a Teachers Welfare Fund. This ring-fenced fund would serve as a financial safety net for educators, protecting them from salary delays while also supporting structured career progression programs such as further training and promotions.
Introducing performance-linked incentives is another strategy that could significantly improve teacher motivation and retention. By offering bonuses based on measurable outcomes, particularly in hard-to-staff regions, the government can reward excellence, reduce absenteeism, and encourage teachers to accept postings in underserved areas.
Digitization of school management systems is also essential. Leveraging digital tools to streamline payroll processing, procurement, and performance tracking would enhance transparency and reduce inefficiencies. A digitized system would allow real-time monitoring of resource allocation and teacher performance, promoting accountability across all levels of education management.
A renewed focus on infrastructure investment is equally important. At least 30% of the education budget should be allocated to building classrooms, improving sanitation, and providing digital learning tools. This would create a more conducive learning environment, support CBC implementation, and ensure equitable access to quality education for all learners.
Finally, the government should embrace decentralized hiring and posting of teachers. Allowing counties to recruit and retain teachers through localized incentives would help address regional imbalances in staffing. This model would also empower local education boards to respond more effectively to their unique challenges, strengthening the overall governance of the education sector.
Is It Sustainable?
Critics of the CBA argue that wage-led approaches may not be sustainable without corresponding reforms in teacher training, deployment, and accountability. Some economists warn that ballooning public sector wages, particularly in education and health, could crowd out development spending.
Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospital Workers (KUDHEIHA) General Secretary Albert Njeru has previously called for a review of public sector remuneration models, citing inefficiencies. “We need to re-examine whether salary increments alone improve outcomes or simply raise expectations,” he noted.
What Happens Next After Negotiations For Teachers Salaries?
The disbursement of the July 2025 teachers salaries with the embedded CBA adjustments marks a step in the right direction. However, it is only a piece of the larger puzzle. The government, unions, and stakeholders must forge a consensus-driven path that combines fair compensation with comprehensive reforms in education quality, access, and financing.
As KNUT, KUPPET, and KUSNET hold the government to account, the hope is that learners do not become collateral damage in this recurring standoff. Ensuring that teachers are motivated, well-paid, and professionally empowered is essential, but so is transforming the education system into one that delivers equitable outcomes for all Kenyan children.
ALSO READ: TSC Secretary Nancy Macharia Confirms Promotion Of 36,000 Teachers
