Kenyan Teachers Set For Salary Increase As TSC Launches CBA 2025–2029 Negotiations

Teachers across the country are expressing cautious optimism as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) formally initiates negotiations for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), signaling what could be a significant salary increment deal.

The talks, set to begin in early July, bring together TSC and three major teachers’ unions: 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).

In an official statement, TSC confirmed that it had extended formal invitations to the unions for consultative meetings on the new CBA, which will guide teachers’ remuneration and working conditions over the next four years. These talks are expected to culminate in a binding agreement that will see salary adjustments factored into the July 2025 payroll, providing long-awaited financial relief for teachers.

The commission will table a salary increment proposal fronted by President William Ruto’s administration as the starting point for negotiations. The upcoming CBA replaces the current 2021–2025 agreement, which expires on June 30, 2025, and underlines the government’s recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and national development.

Read Also: TSC Releases List of 23,388 Promoted Teachers Following Interviews

The negotiation calendar opens on Monday, July 1, with KNUT scheduled to meet TSC officials at the commission’s headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi. The following day, on Tuesday, July 2, KUPPET will take its place at the negotiation table, with KUSNET expected to follow thereafter.

All meetings will be chaired by the TSC’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Eveleen Mitei, who is currently standing in for outgoing CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia. Dr. Macharia is set to retire on June 30 after taking terminal leave earlier this year.

In the circular inviting the unions to the talks, Ms. Mitei noted, “The Commission invites you to a consultative meeting on CBA 2025–2029 on Wednesday, 2^nd July 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Commission Chairman’s Boardroom.”

The negotiations come amid increased pressure on TSC, especially from KUPPET, which had recently issued a seven-day strike notice over the delay in starting CBA talks. The start of formal negotiations has since cooled tensions and renewed hopes for a comprehensive review of teachers’ pay and conditions of service.

KUPPET has proposed a sweeping 100 percent increase in basic pay, especially for teachers in the lowest job group, B5. Currently, a teacher in this group earns a starting salary of KSh 23,830. Under the proposed increment, the salary would rise to KSh 47,660 over the four-year CBA period, translating to an annual increase of approximately KSh 7,446.

Additionally, the union is seeking enhancements in allowances, including commuter, housing, and hardship allowances, to reflect inflationary trends and rising living costs.

KNUT, representing mostly primary school teachers, has submitted an elaborate list of demands in its CBA proposal. The union is calling for a 60 percent increase in basic salary, to be spread across the four-year period and adjusted for inflation. Furthermore, KNUT wants a 30 percent rise in allowances, including enhanced hardship, leave, risk, and medical allowances.

A key focus of KNUT’s submission is the review of hardship area classifications. The union is advocating for joint consultations between TSC and the unions on the classification and declassification of hardship zones, based on evolving socio-economic and security dynamics in different regions.

“The Employer and the Union shall jointly undertake periodic review of the areas to be classified and/or declassified as hardship areas,” the KNUT proposal reads in part. “Any party wishing to initiate a review shall provide three months’ written notice, including the nature of the review.”

Hardship allowances are crucial for teachers working in remote and insecure parts of the country, where access to essential services is limited.

Another key KNUT demand is the introduction of a risk allowance for teachers handling science and technical subjects. The union proposes a monthly risk allowance equivalent to 10 percent of the basic salary, given the unique hazards associated with practical sessions, especially in poorly equipped schools. KNUT suggests that eligibility for this allowance be subject to periodic review by TSC and the union.

On annual leave, KNUT wants teachers to receive 30 working days of fully paid leave after completing 12 months of continuous service. For newly hired teachers, leave should be granted on a pro rata basis, based on the date of employment.

The union also insists that:

1. No leave should be delayed for more than two months without the teacher’s written consent.
2. If a teacher is required to defer their leave beyond the calendar year, the leave must be taken by the end of the next leave year.
3. Upon termination after at least two months of service, teachers should be entitled to pro-rata leave days and corresponding leave travel allowances.

The union is also pushing for improved sick leave benefits. Under the proposed terms, a teacher who presents a valid medical certificate after two consecutive months of service will be entitled to one year of sick leave, split into two equal parts: The first 180 days with full pay and The next 180 days with half pay.

Teachers would be required to notify TSC of their sickness within 48 hours, and online applications for sick leave would also be acceptable. Importantly, the union wants explicit protections to prevent termination of employment on grounds of illness without the teacher’s consent.

KNUT is further seeking the introduction of convalescent leave, to be granted based on a medical practitioner’s recommendation, allowing teachers time to fully recover before resuming duties.

While the national budget for the 2025/2026 financial year was read without direct mention of teachers’ salary adjustments, insiders confirm that any pay rise agreement reached during the CBA talks will be factored into the July payroll through a supplementary budget. The National Treasury has reportedly signaled its readiness to support the agreement once finalized.

The CBA 2025–2029 negotiations are viewed as a litmus test for the government’s commitment to education sector reforms and teacher welfare. The talks come at a time when teachers are grappling with mounting economic pressures, including high living costs and increased responsibilities due to the ongoing CBC transition.

Read Also: Primary School Teachers Demand Recognition For JSS Deployment Amid TSC’s Stringent Criteria