The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will pay salary arrears in May for intern and replacement teachers who started to receive their monthly salaries.
TSC paid teachers salaries on Monday 20th April after it closed its April payroll on Thursday 16th April.
A significant number of intern and replacement teachers who did not get their salaries in March, received the payment in April.
However the teachers only got a one month salary but without arrears for the other months worked.
TSC employed a total of 24,000 junior school intern teachers and deployed them to schools in January.
The Commission employed another additional 9,159 teachers as replacement for teachers who exited teaching service in 2025.
Some of the replacement teachers were posted to schools in January while others in February.
The intern teachers were recruited on a one year internship contract running from 1st January to 31st December, 2026 while the replacement teachers were recruited on permanent and pensionable terms to replace teachers who exited TSC payroll through natural attrition.
The replacements included 7,065 posts for primary schools, 12 posts for junior schools and 2,082 posts for secondary schools.
TSC started paying the teachers in March but majority of the teachers missed pay. Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, had declared the Commission insolvent citing sh. 7.5 billion budget deficit.
However the Commission later received an allocation of sh 24.2 billion in the supplementary budget to cover for salary shortfalls.
The teachers have now received a one month salary though some teachers have still raised complaints after missing pay for a fourth month.
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.
Unlike interns, the replacement teachers are entitled to full benefits especially after completion of 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.
They 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 circumstances;
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