The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has finally released teachers January salaries. Some banks and Saccos have already credited the monies into teachers accounts.
Banks like Absa, KCB and Equity have already paid with others like Cooperative, Family, National expected to make payment today.
It has emerged that teachers have received January salaries with an increment after Treasury made new calculations on deductions that gave a tax relief.
Teachers have received an increment of sh 550 to sh 1,290 which is a tax relief following President William Ruto signing a new tax law that took effect from 27th December 2024.
Ruto assented to the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act, 2024, into law on 13th December which came into effect on 27th December.
Teachers, Civil Servants and other salaried Kenyans will experience an increase in their January payslips net salaries going forward following this law.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had on December ordered employers to align with the new changes which started with December 2024 salaries.
The changes affect the Pay As You Earn (PAYE). Previously PAYE was calculated in a way that disadvantaged workers.
KRA ordered that PAYE should be calculated after all allowances are added to basic salary but minus SHIF, Housing Levy, NSSF and Provident Fund.
Salaried workers will now get an increment of 2% to 5% depending on ones job group.
The January salaries are also enhanced as TSC paid together with the annual leave allowance.
The Commission has also paid the 20,000 JSS intern teachers who reported to schools on 6th January 2025.
The teachers have however received less than what their colleagues used to get each month as stipend.
Most have received sh 15,000 as net pay instead of sh 17,000 previous interns used to get.
The 46,000 teachers who were working on internship terms have also been converted to permanent and pensionable terms and have received new salaries and allowances.
These are 21,550 junior school and 4,000 primary school teachers who were recruited in February 2023.
450 secondary school teachers recruited in April 2023. 18,000 junior school and 2,000 primary school teachers recruited in September 2023.
Besides better salaries the teachers will also have a comprehensive medical cover, entitlement to leaves and loans among other benefits.
A primary school teacher has earned a net salary of sh 32,000 after statutory deductions while a graduate secondary school teacher including those in junior secondary have earned upto sh 47,526 in net pay if in hardship zone.
Previously the intern teachers attached to primary school used to earn sh 13,000 per month while those in secondary got sh 17,000 after SHIF, NSSF and House Levy deductions.
However the 46,000 teachers did not get annual leave allowance because they are not eligible since they haven’t worked for a period that allows them to get the benefit.
The annual leave allowance is paid each year together with January salaries. The lowest job group in B5 gets sh 4,000 as leave allowance and highest in D5 gets sh 10,000.
Teachers are entitled to a number of leaves including a thirty days annual leave which can be granted during school holidays.
A teacher in the employment of the Commission is entitled to a maximum of thirty days annual leave with full pay in respect of each calendar year worked irrespective of the terms and conditions of service.
The Commission further states that annual leave shall only be taken during school holidays and not be accumulated to be carried forward from year to year.
An application for annual leave shall be made online and only during school holidays and in the manner set out in Twenty Seventh Schedule of the TSC Code of Regulations for teachers (CORT);
From 1st December 2021 the Commission automated the leave application and approval process and migrated the same to an online system.
All teachers on TSC payroll, including interns are required henceforth to apply for leave using the online platform. Leaves put on an online platform are;
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
Below are the TSC Leave Allowance rates paid to teachers according to CBA 2021 – 2025 and as outlined in Circular 14/2021.
LEAVE ALLOWANCE PER JOB GROUP
| Grade | Annual Leave Allowance |
| B5 | 4,000 |
| C1 | 4,000 |
| C2 | 6,000 |
| C3 | 6,000 |
| C4 | 6,000 |
| C5 | 6,000 |
| D1 | 10,000 |
| D2 | 10,000 |
| D3 | 10,000 |
| D4 | 10,000 |
| D5 | 10,000 |