Teachers decry pay rise as new salary deal sparks uproar
Teachers decry pay rise as new salary deal sparks uproar
Thousands of teachers across the country have expressed outrage over what they are calling a “skewed and insulting” salary increment under the newly signed collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between teachers’ unions and their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The salary review, which took effect on July 1, 2025, has left many educators stunned, with some receiving as little as KSh 500 in monthly pay increases — a figure they say fails to match the rising cost of living.
“We expected to smile all the way from the bank, but we ended up crying. Some of my colleagues’ payslips are showing negative balances,” lamented Janet, a teacher in Nyeri County.
The controversial CBA was signed 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). While it was billed as a progressive deal to boost teachers’ welfare, many now view it as a missed opportunity.
A breakdown of the figures paints a grim picture:
A Chief Principal under Grade D5, previously earning KSh 131,380, received an increment of just KSh 985.
Their counterpart at the top of the pay scale, earning KSh 162,539, saw a slightly higher but still modest increase of KSh 1,219.
A Senior Master II under Grade C4, now takes home KSh 79,215 — an increase of only KSh 590.
A primary school teacher under Grade C1, who was supposed to receive up to 29% increment, got a raise of just KSh 1,318.
The lowest-paid teacher in the country, whose salary was KSh 23,830, received an increment of KSh 1,198.
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Union officials say the percentages advertised — between 12% and 29% — were misleading.
“The lowest cadre was to receive 29%, but not on today’s salary — rather, on a projected salary for 2029,” explained the KNUT Nyeri Branch Chairperson.
In Kisii, KUPPET County Chair Joseph Abincha said teachers were demanding clarity.
“Most teachers are frustrated. We want to understand what matrix TSC used. We need transparency on the exact percentage distribution over the four-year period,” he said.
In Bomet, groups of teachers were forced to huddle over payslips to make sense of the revised figures, many still in disbelief.
“We feel betrayed. What we were promised is not what we received,” one teacher said.
While the new CBA also reviewed house, hardship, and other allowances, many teachers now find themselves pushed into higher tax brackets, further diminishing the impact of their net pay increase.
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