Teachers across Kenya will now receive their July salaries on August 1, rather than the usual end-of-month timeline, marking an unexpected delay of almost a week. This delay has left many educators frustrated, especially since they typically expect their salaries by the 26th of every month.
According to insiders from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the delay is directly linked to the rollout of a new salary structure outlined in the 2025-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Although the new pay deal officially takes effect from July 1, finalizing the necessary adjustments to teachers’ salaries—including changes in pay grades, allowances, and benefits—has taken longer than expected. This has pushed the actual salary disbursement date to Friday, August 1.
The salary revision is part of a major Ksh33 billion four-year CBA signed on July 19 between the TSC and three major teachers’ unions: KNUT (Kenya National Union of Teachers), KUPPET (Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers), and KUSNET (Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers).
The agreement promises improved remuneration and benefits for more than 400,000 teachers across the country.
Under this new deal, the highest-paid teachers—those in job group D5—will now earn up to Ksh167,415, which reflects a 5% increase.
The lowest-paid teachers, typically in Grade B5, will see their monthly earnings rise from about Ksh23,000 to approximately Ksh29,000. Overall, teachers across all job groups will benefit from a pay rise ranging from 2.4% to 29.5%, depending on their job grade and current earnings.
Meanwhile, schools are preparing to close for the August holidays, even as debates around the future of free primary and secondary education intensify.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has raised concerns, warning that parents might soon have to pay up to Ksh7,800 annually to support their children in public day schools. This is due to delays and potential cuts in the capitation funding promised by the government.
Currently, each student is supposed to receive Ksh22,244 annually through capitation grants, but many schools are reporting that they receive as little as Ksh9,000 per learner.
The Treasury recently admitted to disbursing only Ksh16,900 per student, sparking fears of a possible cut in the full allocation. However, President William Ruto has refuted these concerns, reiterating that education remains a top priority for his administration.
Despite the President’s assurance, parents, teachers, and political leaders continue to express unease over the fate of the free education programme, especially if the funding gaps are not addressed promptly.
With the new school term just around the corner, all eyes are now on the government to provide clarity and solutions.
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