Teachers Push TSC for 60% Hike in Hardship Allowance.
Teachers working in arid, semi-arid, and hardship-prone regions are now urging the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to review and increase their hardship allowances to a maximum of 60 percent.
Represented by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Samburu branch, the educators made the demand in a formal letter dated April 28, 2025, addressed to TSC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nancy Macharia.
The letter, signed by Executive Secretary William Lengoiyap, cited rising living costs and persistent insecurity in those areas as grounds for a significant increase in hardship allowances.
They recommended that hardship allowances be reviewed upward—30 percent for teachers in safe hardship zones and 60 percent for those serving in insecure regions. The teachers argued that such a move would reflect the risks and expenses faced in their work environments.
Claims of Union Neglect and Lack of Consultation
In the letter, the teachers criticized KUPPET for proposing to retain current hardship allowance rates in the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) without adequate consultation. Mr. Lengoiyap stated that teachers in hardship zones and their local leadership felt ignored during the drafting of the proposal.
He wrote that the teachers believed they were completely left out of discussions, leading to dissatisfaction with the union’s position. He added that increasing the allowance would serve not only as compensation but also as a powerful motivational tool in hardship areas. He noted, “This increase shall also serve as a key motivating factor in these hardship areas.”
Lengoiyap emphasized that hardship pay should be directly tied to prevailing conditions, remarking, “Considering the high cost of living and threat to life, our proposal reflects a realistic response to the conditions we face daily.”
Previous Appeals and Unchanged Rates
This request follows another letter dated April 16, 2025, from the Kenya Teachers in Hardship and Arid Areas Welfare Association (KETHAWA), which proposed a 40 percent increase in hardship allowances in the upcoming CBA cycle. Like the KUPPET Samburu branch, KETHAWA urged the Commission to review teacher pay based on environmental and economic realities in hardship regions.
According to KUPPET’s 2025–2029 CBA proposal, the hardship allowance will remain unchanged, ranging from Ksh6,600 for teachers at Grade B5 to Ksh38,100 for those at Grade D5. However, KUPPET suggested expanding the list of hardship areas to include Lari in Kiambu County and Nairobi County.
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The proposed figures in the CBA were originally set during the 2017–2021 agreement period and have not been revised despite growing challenges in hardship areas. KUPPET acknowledged that while allowances remain unchanged, the list of qualifying regions should be expanded to account for shifting realities.
In the CBA document, KUPPET stated that the current figures were outdated and failed to reflect the worsening environment for teachers. They said, “Given the rising cost of living and the nature of environment, it is essential to re-evaluate hard to staff areas to ensure that all teachers receive fair compensation that aligns with their experiences and hardships.”
The union defended the decision to keep current rates but justified their plan to include more areas, arguing it would help balance compensation with actual working conditions.
Teachers Push TSC for 60% Hike in Hardship Allowance
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