Teachers Service Commission (TSC) staff have renewed calls for a salary increase following the approval of a new and improved pay structure for civil servants by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
The TSC employees argue that the latest SRC decision, which granted higher basic salaries and enhanced allowances to civil servants under the 4th Remuneration Review Cycle (2025/2026–2028/2029), has widened the pay gap between teachers and other public servants, despite teachers carrying a heavy national responsibility.
According to an SRC advisory dated December 19, 2025, civil servants in the national government will enjoy revised basic salaries, house allowances and a consolidated Salary Market Adjustment (SMA) effective July 1, 2025, at a cost of Ksh2.06 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Senior officers are set to earn basic salaries of up to Ksh396,130, excluding allowances.
TSC staff say the move has reignited long-standing grievances over salary stagnation, noting that teachers continue to grapple with rising living costs, heavy workloads and delayed promotions while their counterparts in the civil service receive improved pay packages.
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Union officials argue that teachers, who play a critical role in shaping the country’s human capital, should not be left behind whenever salary reviews are undertaken.
They are now demanding that TSC urgently review teachers’ remuneration to match or surpass the improved civil service scales.
“The government cannot justify improving salaries for civil servants while ignoring teachers who are at the heart of national development,” said a union official, warning that dissatisfaction within the teaching fraternity could disrupt learning if not addressed.
The SRC has previously maintained that salary adjustments for unionisable staff are implemented through Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
However, teachers insist that the latest civil service review should trigger a parallel review of teachers’ pay to ensure equity within the public service.
As pressure mounts, attention now shifts to the SRC, the National Treasury and the TSC to address the growing discontent and avert a potential standoff with teachers’ unions.
By Phillip Koech
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