It will not be possible for teachers to get salary increment through the July payroll, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) officials have revealed.
The officials have said that they will meet TSC for a second round of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2025-2029 negotiations this week that aim to reach an agreement for a payrise.
Kuppet officials made the revelations after a meeting with its national governing council at Kasarani Sportsview Hotel in Nairobi on 11th July that discussed the contents of CBA offer issued by the TSC.
Kuppet top officials had summoned the branch secretaries after a meeting with TSC to discuss the new CBA.
“The purpose of this meeting is to update all branch secretaries on the resolutions and outcomes of the recent engagement held between the TSC and the KUPPET national officials. This meeting is crucial because it will ensure a unified understanding and cordinated communication of key matters affecting our members,” said Kuppet secretary general, Akelo Misori, in a letter addressed to the council members.
The current CBA 2021-2025 already expired on 30th June and teachers can only get salary increment by signing a new CBA.
The new CBA will start from 1st July 2025 till 30th June 2029. All benefits agreed will therefore be backdated from 1st July 2025.
Key Highlights from KUPPET National Governing Council Meeting – 11th July 2025
- CBA Negotiations Update:
KUPPET and TSC have not reached an agreement on the 2025–2029 CBA; further talks are scheduled before or on 20th July 2025. - Main Union Demands:
KUPPET is demanding better salaries, harmonized house allowances across all regions, risk allowances, improved commuter and leave allowances, and collapsing of job clusters (like C4 & C5). - Prioritizing Classroom Teachers:
Greater CBA benefits will be directed towards classroom teachers to bridge existing pay gaps. - Teacher Promotions:
KUPPET seeks automatic promotions, collapsing of CPG ladders, and faster promotion processes with a bigger promotion budget (raised from Ksh 1B to Ksh 1.7B). - Intern Teachers’ Recognition:
Service by intern teachers (including January 2023 & September 2023 cohorts) should count towards promotions and permanent terms. - Improved Teacher Welfare:
Proposals include Minet insurance reforms, six-month salary grace period after a spouse’s death, and non-voluntary transfers to come with monetary compensation. - Examination Administration:
KUPPET opposes forced participation in KNEC exams supervision or invigilation; it should be voluntary. - Inclusivity and Union Reforms:
KUPPET seeks to amend its constitution to better represent youth, women, PWDs, and minority groups within its leadership structures.
Kuppet has proposed a salary increment of sh 29,787 for lowest teacher in job group B5 spread over four years.
The union is seeking a 100% increment on basic salary where the lowest teacher at B5 currently earning a starting salary of sh 23,830 to earn sh 47,660 after the CBA deal.
Kuppet has proposed a payrise that favour classroom teachers. Kuppet has proposed a 100% increment for the lowest in B5 and 50% for highest in D5.
However the CBA talks come at a time the Supreme Court has made a landmark ruling on labour matters.
The Court has ruled that only Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has final say on pay of all public officers.
The Court has ordered all state bodies to abide by SRC advisory when changing salaries or signing CBA’s.
SRC had previously warned government agencies against raining salaries for public officers citing untenable wage bill.
Kuppet has however affirmed that the salaries of its members must be reviewed upward inline with the current inflation.
Knut on the other hand is demanding a 60% adjustment in basic salaries over the four-year period, pegged on inflation, alongside a 30% increase in allowances.
Knut top officials met TSC for the CBA consultation talks which ended fruitless as no offer was made by the teacher employer.
The national officials led by its secretary general, Collins Oyuu, then issued a seven day strike notice demanding the Commission to table an offer.
The strike threat ended on 8th July but TSC has not responded and Knut seems to have backed down.
KNUT is also pushing for a rise in hardship allowances and joint consultations by the employer regarding review or declassification of any hardship area.
“The Employer and the Union shall jointly undertake periodic review of the areas to be classified and/or declassified as hardship areas. Any party wishing to make a review of the hardship areas shall provide three month’s written notice of the intention to make such a review, including the nature of the review to the other party,” reads the KNUT proposal in part.
Hardship refers to the challenging conditions faced by teachers working in designated areas characterized by factors such as remoteness, lack of infrastructure, and insecurity being the most prevalent.
On risk allowance, KNUT is demanding that all teachers handling technical and science subjects be entitled to a monthly risk allowance at a rate of 10 percent of their basic salary, with TSC and the union jointly undertaking periodic review of the categories of employees eligible for payment of risk allowance.
Subsequently, the annual leave as captured in the proposed CBA, KNUT demands that after completion of 12 month’s aggregated service with an employer, a teacher shall be entitled to 30 working days’ annual leave with full pay.
Newly recruited teachers, on the other hand, shall be granted paid annual leave on a pro rata basis, considering the date of appointment.
The annual leave, as per the proposed CBA, shall be taken at a time that is convenient to the employer, but the individual teacher’s circumstances shall be considered.
“No annual leave shall be delayed for more than two months without the consent of the employee concerned. Where employment is terminated after completion of two months or more months’ aggregate
service during any leave-earning period, the teacher in question shall be entitled to pro-rata leave days with full pay and a pro-rata leave travelling allowance,” reads further the CBA document.
“A teacher who is required by the employer to postpone his/her leave beyond the leave year in which
it falls will be allowed to defer such leave to the following year, provided that the total leave due will be taken before the end of the next leave year,” it adds.
Regarding the sick leave, KNUT wants in the submitted 2025-2029 CBA that after two consecutive
months of service with TSC and subject to production by the teacher of a medical certificate of incapacity from a medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in a registered hospital, health
Centre, dispensary, or medical aid center, a teacher shall be entitled to a one-year sick leave with pay, where the first 180 days will be with full pay while the next 180 days will be with half pay.
“Any teacher seeking sick leave with full pay shall notify or cause to be notified his/her employer of his/
her absence on account of sickness within 48 hours. Online application shall also apply. No teacher shall be terminated on account of sickness without his/her express authority,” reads the CBA.
KNUT is also proposing that teachers be granted convalescent leave for such a period as is recommended by a medical practitioner or a person acting on the practitioner’s behalf in a registered hospital, a health Centre, a dispensary, or a medical aid Centre.
Convalescent leave is a period of absence from work or duty, typically granted to allow for recovery from an illness or injury, which is specifically designed to facilitate healing and recuperation before returning to full duties.