Teachers to receive pay rise as State releases Sh13b salary deal

Teachers to receive pay rise as State releases Sh13b salary deal

The government has released KSh13 billion to fully implement the second phase of the teachers’ pay agreement. According to calculations by *The Standard*, this adjustment will result in salary increases ranging from KSh2,570 for the lowest-paid teachers to KSh393 for the highest earners. Consequently, the new salary for the lowest-paid teachers will range between KSh23,830 and KSh29,787. For the highest-paid teachers, the salary will be between KSh131,389 and KSh162,539.

In addition to salary increases, teachers will benefit from four types of allowances: commuter, house, leave, and hardship allowances. These allowances will vary from a minimum of KSh3,850 to a maximum of KSh50,000, depending on the specific type. Specifically, commuter allowances will range between KSh4,000 and KSh16,000, housing allowances between KSh3,850 and KSh50,000, leave allowances from KSh4,000 to KSh10,000, and hardship allowances will range between KSh6,600 and KSh38,100.

The CEO of the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC), Dr. Nancy Macharia, announced that the salary adjustments will be reflected in teachers’ August payslips, with arrears backdated to July 1, 2024, marking the beginning of the implementation period. This means that teachers will receive additional pay at the end of the month due to the backdated amounts.

This pay raise follows a similar increment that teachers received last year during the first phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). On Wednesday, the TSC confirmed that it had received the necessary funds to fully implement this second phase of the pay increment. Dr. Macharia, after discussions with union leaders, expressed satisfaction with the government’s provision of funds to effect the pay rise starting from July 1, 2024. This decision will benefit over 370,000 teachers across the country as the second phase of the CBA takes effect in August.

For teachers in pay Grade B5, the lowest rank, the minimum pay rise will be KSh1,037, increasing their salaries from KSh22,793 to KSh23,830, while those at the highest scale within this job group will earn KSh29,787.

This salary increase is the final step in implementing the agreement signed in August last year by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET). On Wednesday, Dr. Macharia assured that the necessary funds have been allocated for this purpose, with the unions confirming the full budgetary allocation for the CBA.

Despite the assurance of full compliance with the CBA deal, KNUT and KUPPET announced that their planned strike would continue, citing unresolved issues such as the promotion of 130,000 teachers and the confirmation of 46,000 intern teachers. Dr. Macharia, however, urged teachers to return to work on Monday for the start of the Third Term, emphasizing that the government has released the necessary funds for the pay increase.

The unions also highlighted other unresolved issues, including the review of Career Progression Guidelines, remittance of third-party deductions, and the need to resolve issues surrounding the teachers’ medical scheme to ensure members have access to both public and private hospitals.

Teachers to receive pay rise as State releases Sh13b salary deal