Teachers across Kenya are in for a major pay boost following the signing of a new salary agreement between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education
Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET). The new 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is valued at Ksh33 billion and will benefit thousands of educators.
According to the new agreement, teachers in the highest job group, D5, will now take home up to Ksh167,415 per month, reflecting a 5% rise in their salaries. This salary adjustment follows intense negotiations held on Friday, July 18, at the Kenya Institute of Special Education in Kasarani.
During the meeting, union officials and government representatives struck a deal that also included a significant 29.6% raise for the lowest-earning teachers.
As per the revised pay structure, teachers currently earning around Ksh23,000 — mostly those in the lower job groups — will see their salaries increase to approximately Ksh29,000. These increments will not happen all at once but will be phased in over the next five years.
Each year, the government has committed to setting aside Ksh8.4 billion for the salary adjustments, adding up to a total of Ksh33 billion by the end of the agreement period on June 30, 2029.
Implementation of the new CBA will start immediately, meaning teachers are expected to receive their updated salaries in their end-of-month pay slips.
Here’s a breakdown of the revised basic salary structure by job group:
- C1: Between Ksh35,300 and Ksh47,300
- C2: From Ksh41,400 to Ksh57,200
- C3: Between Ksh49,800 and Ksh66,200
- C4: Ranging from Ksh58,600 to Ksh77,100
- C5: Between Ksh69,700 and Ksh96,100
- D1: From Ksh81,000 to Ksh99,300
- D2: Between Ksh95,300 and Ksh116,000
- D3: From Ksh109,200 to Ksh133,300
- D4: Ranging from Ksh121,800 to Ksh150,700
- D5: Up to Ksh167,415
While allowances such as commuter and house allowance remain largely unchanged in this round of negotiations, one major structural change has been agreed upon — the phasing out of the widely criticized Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
Introduced in 2018, the CPG system has faced backlash from teachers for being overly rigid, unclear, and punitive.
Akelo Misori, the Secretary General of KUPPET, applauded the new salary deal, noting that it finally addresses long-standing inequalities in the teaching profession.
He pointed out that in the previous 2016–2021 CBA, it was mostly school administrators like principals and heads of departments who benefited, leaving classroom teachers behind. This time, the focus is firmly on uplifting the lower cadres of the teaching workforce.
The agreement comes after a meeting earlier in the week between TSC and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), where both parties discussed a counter-offer in response to teachers’ salary demands.
After reaching consensus, the TSC invited union leaders to Friday’s negotiations, resulting in a deal that many believe will help stabilize and motivate the education sector.
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