The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has activated the March salaries for teachers as schools are set to break for one day to usher in Idd Ul Fitr celebrations.
The Commission closed the payroll on 17th March and is under pressure to pay salaries early which will be a major boost for Muslim teachers who are planning to join their families for celebrations which mark the end of Ramadan after 30 days of fasting and prayers.
Muslim will be celebrating Idd Ul Fitr on Thursday 19th March. Teachers will start to receive their salaries today, 18th March which will be credited into their Sacco and bank accounts.
Among those yearning for the payment are 24,000 junior school intern teachers and 9,159 replacement teachers employed in January.
The intern teachers were recruited on a one year internship contract while the replacement teachers were recruited on permanent and pensionable terms to replace teachers who exited TSC payroll in 2025 through natural attrition.
The replacements included 7,065 posts for primary schools, 12 posts for junior schools and 2,082 posts for secondary schools.
Both the intern and replacement teachers were posted to schools in January but only a few junior school intern teachers were paid in February.
A significant number missed pay. None of the replacement teachers got paid in February.
Details show the junior school intern teachers will receive their stipend with arrears including for the days worked in January.
There are likelihood for the replacement teachers to start getting their pay this month despite being on probation.
A junior school intern teacher earns a monthly stipend of sh 20,000 but receive around sh 18,000 after SHIF, Housing levy and NSSF deductions.
The internship programme has however recently been declared illegal by the Court of Appeal which forces TSC to review its whole structure.
Unlike interns, the replacement teachers will be entitled to full benefits especially after they complete their probation period.
The teachers will be entitled to full salary and allowance benefits. P1 teachers who are employed at grade B5 also known as primary teacher II will start with a basic salary of sh. 25,028 to a maximum of sh. 31,615.
In addition they will be entitled to a commuter allowance of sh. 4,000, annual leave allowance sh. 4,000 (paid once in January) and a hardship allowance of sh. 6,600 for those working in hardship areas.
The teachers will be paid a house allowance of sh. 3,500. Teachers working in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru Cities, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi, Kakamega and Kitale Municipalities will be paid sh. 4,500 while those working in Nairobi will get sh. 6,750 as house allowance.
The teachers will get a comprehensive medical cover under Social Health Authority (SHA) through their monthly medical allowance.
The teachers will automatically be promoted to job group C1 after serving for three years.
For junior and senior school teachers their employment is different. Those with Diploma were employed at job group C1 while graduate teachers started at job group C2.
The graduate teacher at job group C2 also known as secondary teacher II will start with a basic salary of sh. 39,070 which will increase to a maximum of sh. 49,100.
In addition they will be entitled to a commuter allowance of sh. 5,000, annual leave allowance sh. 6,000 (paid once in January) and a hardship allowance of sh. 10,900 for those working in hardship areas.
The teachers will be paid a house allowance of sh. 9,600. Teachers working in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru Cities, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi, Kakamega and Kitale Municipalities will be paid sh. 12,800 while those working in Nairobi will get sh. 16,500 as house allowance.
Diploma teachers will be promoted to grade C2 after serving for three years while the graduates will be moved to grade C3 automatically after serving same period.
The teachers are currently serving a six month probation period before they can be converted to pnp.
“Note that the effective date of your appointment will be the date you report for duty. Your salary will be Ksh 300,336 p.a on the T-Scale 5 (Ksh 300,336 p.a to Ksh 379,380 p.a). You will also be entitled to Automatic House Allowance, Commuter Allowance and Hardship Allowance (where applicable),” reads an employment letter of a P1 teachers sent in a school in Kilifi.
The teachers will also enjoy all TSC leaves including payment of annual leave allowance which is done once in January each year.
Most of these leaves are applied and approved through an online platform except under special occasions;
1. Sick Leave
2. Annual Leave
3. Compassionate Leave
4. Paternity Leave
5. Maternity Leave
6. Study Leave
7. Special Leave
8. Adoption Leave
9. Spouse of Diplomat Leave