The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) which had closed the payroll and had started to process July salaries on time, reopened it after suspending further payroll activities.
The Commission action was a reaction to strike threat issued by Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut).
Knut secretary general, Collins Oyuu, had warned that learning will be disrupted countrywide should TSC fail to capture the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2025 – 2029 in the July payroll.
The statement by Oyuu did not augur well with TSC Commissioners who viewed it as a threat leading them to suspend July payroll activities.
However the recent statement from President William Ruto stirred common sense into the Commission whose action has caused excruciating pain into teachers who are currently struggling with finances over delayed pay.
Ruto lauded the CBA negotiations saying his government will give teachers a salary increment of upto 29%.
The reopening of the payroll again and resuming its activities takes process before the actual disbursement of salaries into teachers bank and Sacco accounts.
The Commission actions has caused unnecessary tensions over implementation of the CBA 2025–2029 recently negotiated with three teachers unions KNUT, KUPPET and KUSNET.
Teachers are looking forward for early payment of salaries with salary increment captured.
The Commission has included the first phase of the new CBA it signed with teacher unions on 18th July that will cost the government sh33.75 billion to implement for a period of four years.
The Phase I of the CBA 2025 – 2029 which start from 1st July, 2025 will cost 8.4 billion in salaries and allowances, with more than Sh1.2 billion being employer’s contribution to the teacher’s Pension Scheme and other statutory deductions.
Teachers will start to receive their July salaries this week. TSC said the over four hundred thousand teachers will receive payrise.
“After the long journey of detailed and thorough negotiations, we are delighted to inform our more than 400,000 teachers that we have a CBA deal for the period 2025-2029, which we have signed with the elected representatives of KNUT, KUSNET, and KUPPET today,” said TSC Chairperson Jamleck Muturi in a press statement.
However a number of third party deductions including unions dues, Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Housing Levy will increase.
TSC has awarded the lowest teacher in grade B5 with a basic salary increment of sh. 7,313 spread in four years.
The teacher who used to earn a minimum of sh. 23,830 basic salary will now get sh. 28,620 per month.
Kuppet, Knut and Kusnet appended their signature into the deal to usher in new salary changes in July payroll.
The Commission has however not revised the allowances paid to teachers which unions wanted raised to cushion teachers from effects of inflation.
The Commission has only introduced and increased the rates for payment of Baggage Allowance.
A Baggage Allowance is an allowance given to public servants on transfers to ferry their household goods from one station to another.
Example. Teachers current station is in Nairobi then he gets transferred to Busia county. The teacher is required to write a letter requesting for baggage allowance.
The ministry of transport will compute the total kilometers from Nairobi to Busia then you are paid the allowance
However all other existing allowances will remain unchanged as TSC plans to review the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) in June 2026.
The Commission thanked President William Ruto for support announcing a raft of goodies to be unveiled in the 2025/2026 Financial Year. These include;
a) Recruitment of additional teachers at a cost of Sh2.4 Billion. Already, the Kenya Kwanza Government has recruited a total of 76,000 teachers in a span of just two and half years;
b) Promotion of teachers across all cadres at a cost of Sh1 Billion, and;
c) Re-tooling of Senior School teachers at a cost of Sh950 Million.
The first phase of the new CBA will be effective from 1st July, 2025 at a cost of 8.4 billion in salaries and allowances, with more than Sh1.2 billion being employer’s contribution to the teacher’s Pension Scheme and other statutory deductions.
In order to address the concerns raised by teachers through their unions, and after elaborate negotiations, the Commission awarded a salary increment of up to 29.5% for the various cadres of staff.
BASIC SALARY CBA 2025 – 2029
| Grade | TSC Scale | Basic Pay Minimum | Basic Pay Maximum |
| B5 | 5 | 28,620 | 37,100 |
| C1 | 6 | 35,336 | 47,261 |
| C2 | 7 | 41,420 | 57,230 |
| C3 | 8 | 49,781 | 66,233 |
| C4 | 9 | 58,585 | 77,120 |
| C5 | 10 | 69,745 | 96,130 |
| D1 | 11 | 80,984 | 99,272 |
| D2 | 12 | 95,271 | 116,012 |
| D3 | 13 | 109,224 | 133,347 |
| D4 | 14 | 121,789 | 150,675 |
| D5 | 15 | 135,321 | 167,415 |
COMMUTER ALLOWANCE
| Grade | Commuter Allowance p.m |
| B5 | 4,000 |
| C1 | 4,000 |
| C2 | 5,000 |
| C3 | 6,000 |
| C4 | 8,000 |
| C5 | 8,000 |
| D1 | 12,000 |
| D2 | 12,000 |
| D3 | 14,000 |
| D4 | 14,000 |
| D5 | 16,000 |
DISABILITY GUIDE ALLOWANCE
| Grade | Disability Guide Allowance p.m |
| B5 | 20,000 |
| C1 | 20,000 |
| C2 | 20,000 |
| C3 | 20,000 |
| C4 | 20,000 |
| C5 | 20,000 |
| D1 | 20,000 |
| D2 | 20,000 |
| D3 | 20,000 |
| D4 | 20,000 |
| D5 | 20,000 |
LEAVE ALLOWANCE (paid once a year in Jnauary)
| Grade | Annual Leave Allowance |
| B5 | 4,000 |
| C1 | 4,000 |
| C2 | 6,000 |
| C3 | 6,000 |
| C4 | 6,000 |
| cs | 6,000 |
| D1 | 10,000 |
| D2 | 10,000 |
| D3 | 10,000 |
| D4 | 10,000 |
| D5 | 10,000 |
HOUSE ALLOWANCE
| Grade | TSC Scale | Hse1 Nairobi | Hse2 -Major Municipalities- Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii and Kitale | Hse3 -Other former Minor Municipalities | Hse4 – alI other areas |
| BS | 5 | 6,750 | 4,500 | 3,850 | 3,200 |
| C1 | 6 | 10,000 | 7,500 | 5,800 | 4,200 |
| C2 | 7 | 16,500 | 12,800 | 9,600 | 7,500 |
| C3 | 8 | 28,000 | 22,000 | 16,500 | 13,000 |
| C4 | 9 | 28,000 | 22,000 | 16,500 | 13,000 |
| C5 | 10 | 35,000 | 25,500 | 18,000 | 15,400 |
| D1 | 11 | 45,000 | 28,000 | 21,000 | 16,800 |
| D2 | 12 | 45,000 | 28,000 | 21,000 | 16,800 |
| D3 | 13 | 45,000 | 28,000 | 21,000 | 16,800 |
| D4 | 14 | 45,000 | 28,000 | 21,000 | 16,800 |
| D5 | 15 | 50,000 | 35,000 | 25,000 | 20,000 |
HARDSHIP ALLOWANCE
| Grade | Hardship Allowance |
| B5 | 6,600 |
| C1 | 8,200 |
| C2 | 10,900 |
| C3 | 12,300 |
| C4 | 14,650 |
| C5 | 17,100 |
| D1 | 27,300 |
| D2 | 27,300 |
| D3 | 31,500 |
| D4 | 31,500 |
| D5 | 38,100 |
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
| Grade | Rates in Kshs. per kilometer |
| B5 | 43 |
| C1 | 43 |
| C2 | 55 |
| C3 | 55 |
| C4 | 55 |
| C5 | 55 |
| D1 | 68 |
| D2 | 68 |
| D3 | 68 |
| D4 | 68 |
| D5 | 80 |