The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has now revealed the details contained in their pay deal agreement signed with Teachers Service Commission (TSC) captured in the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which was signed yesterday at the Kenya Institute of Special Needs Education (KISE) in closed door meeting that ended late in the night.
Speaking to Education News this morning, KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu stated that there was some slight achievement both in monetary and non-monetary components of the CBA, with teachers getting an average basic pay increase of 12% to 29.5%, adding that the biggest winners will teachers in lower cadre. This are teachers in Grades B5 – C3 who will get a basic salary increase of 29.5 per cent while teachers in the higher cadre that is Grades C4 – D5 will get an average pay rise of 12%.
“Away from 2021-2025 CBA which was cashless, this time round, however little, there is a monetary gain of averagely 12 – 29.5%. The best thing that came around now for teachers is that Grades B5, C1, C2 and C3 that is, the lower cadre, they are the greatest beneficiaries who will get a higher percentage that is the 29.5%; while the higher cadre teachers that is from Grades C4 to D5 will get a 12% pay increase,” said Oyuu.
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According to Oyuu, the gazette hardship areas are retained in the 2025-2029 CBA signed yesterday and which will be registered in the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) next week. “All gazette hardship areas in the 2025-2029 CBA have been retained. What we are now pushing for as a union is gazette of more hardship areas.”
On the other hand, Oyuu revealed that the union also achieved a lot in terms of non-monetary aspects during the yesterday’s CBA negotiations with TSC, key among them being payment of pension to those teachers who have been dismissed, something the union has been pushing for long.
“When our teachers are dismissed even only when they are remaining a few months to retirement for instance at 59 years and 10 months, they go home without anything. But in the negotiations yesterday, we resolved and agreed that all dismissed teachers shall be paid pension based on the number of years they have worked. Initially, this wasn’t the case. Benefits should be tied to years one has worked not behavior. Before you became a bad person, you should be paid when you were good,” said Oyuu.
He further added that once the TSC Amendment Bill that was initiated by the Commission to make key changes in the TSC Act 2012 which is currently before the Attorney General’s office will be passed into law, teachers will win big in terms of non-monetary component of the next cycle of the CBA that will cover 2029-2032 period since it will review the Code of Regulations for Teachers (CORT).
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“The moment the CORT is reviewed, we shall get more wins for teachers in terms of non-monetary CBA. We’re very hopeful that non-monetary aspects of CBA for the next cycle that is 2029-2032, we shall achieve a lot for teachers that will improve their working condition,” said Oyuu,
He revealed further that teachers will soon start benefiting from group life cover that will be introduced by the employer, which is not currently captured in the comprehensive Medical Cover for teachers. The only thing that teachers enjoy currently is last expenses, which is paid to carter for teachers’ funeral and burial expenses.
“Teachers have been operating on a comprehensive medical cover, but there is no group life cover, which is very dangerous because group life cover for other civil servants is there. Any worker benefiting from a comprehensive medical cover should also have group life cover. TSC is liaising with the National Treasury so that we initiate in shortest time possible group life cover,” said the KNUT boss.
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“Teachers should be patient. Every other CBA has a review clause and this clause is respected by law since a CBA is a legal document. This review clause is open for further negotiations,” he added.
In the 2025-2029 CBA, the lowest teacher at Grade B5 will see their basic pay increases from Ksh23,830 to Ksh28,620 on the minimum, while the maximum increase will be from Ksh29,787 to Ksh37,100. The highest cadre who are the Chief Principals at Grade D5 will see their basic salary increases from Ksh131,380 toKsh135,321 on the minimum, and from Ksh162,539 to Ksh167,415 on the maximum.
By Hezron Roy
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