Teachers across Kenya could soon see significant changes in how their salaries are determined following Parliament’s approval of the Draft Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Regulations, 2025.
The new rules, backed by the National Assembly, are designed to bring order to a pay system that has long been criticised for inconsistencies, unclear allowances, and wide disparities among public servants, including teachers.
At the core of the reforms is a move to standardise how salaries are structured across the public sector. For teachers, this means job roles will now be placed within clearly defined salary bands based on structured job evaluations.
In practice, this could reduce cases where teachers with similar qualifications and responsibilities earn different salaries depending on when or where they were hired.
Nyando MP Jared Okello said the changes are meant to end years of inequality.
“Public officers have endured disparities for too long. This creates uniformity and predictability.”
ALSO READ;
Allowances, often a major and sometimes controversial part of teachers’ earnings, will now face tighter regulation.
The SRC will have stronger powers to standardise allowances across institutions, limit excessive or duplicated benefits, and ensure all additional pay aligns with national guidelines
This could bring clarity to payments such as housing, hardship, and commuter allowances, but may also reduce flexibility previously enjoyed in some institutions.
For teachers, one of the biggest expected benefits is greater predictability. With clearer salary bands and criteria, promotions may follow a more transparent structure, salary growth could become easier to track, and pay decisions will be guided by uniform national standards
Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch said the regulations introduce long-needed clarity.
“These regulations now provide clear principles and criteria, it is time we restored order in how public pay is determined.”
The new framework comes after earlier resistance from key institutions, including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which had raised concerns over control of pay decisions.
This time, Parliament says broader consultations were done, reducing the likelihood of legal battles. Even so, how the TSC implements and aligns with the SRC guidelines will be critical in determining the real impact on teachers.
By Mercy Kokwon
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
