- The Employment and Labour Relations Court scheduled a decisive hearing for July 22, 2026, rejecting the county’s request for more time in the long‑running salary dispute.
- Teachers seek implementation of a harmonised pay scale, including basic salaries, allowances, arrears, and benefits, with certificate holders entitled to KSh29,700 plus hardship allowance.
- The outcome could compel West Pokot to release millions in arrears and set a precedent for similar ECDE salary disputes across Kenya.
A long-running salary dispute between the West Pokot County Government and hundreds of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers is headed for a decisive courtroom showdown on July 22, 2026, after the Employment and Labour Relations Court rejected the county’s bid for more time to respond.
The county, represented by County Solicitor Philip Magal, had sought additional time to file a replying affidavit in the case brought by the Kenya Union of National Nursery and Primary Education Teachers (KUNNOPET). KUNNOPET Secretary General Samuel Opiyo objected, arguing the matter had already dragged on too long and that further delay would continue to prejudice teachers awaiting implementation of a court-adopted salary agreement.
The court sided with the union, directing that the county’s replying affidavit, the hearing of the application and the determination of the matter would all proceed on the same date — setting up a hearing that could compel the county to release millions of shillings in salary arrears and fully implement the agreed salary structure.
“This matter is long overdue. Our teachers have remained committed to their classrooms despite the uncertainty surrounding their salaries and employment benefits. They have respected the court process, and now they deserve justice,” Opiyo told journalists after the session, adding that the dispute was no longer about negotiation but about enforcing a binding agreement both parties had freely entered into. “Court orders are not optional. They must be respected. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
At the centre of the dispute is a court-adopted harmonised salary structure that KUNNOPET says the county has failed to implement despite signing a consent agreement. Under the structure, a Certificate ECDE teacher is entitled to a basic salary of KSh 23,700, a house allowance of KSh 3,000 and a commuter allowance of KSh 3,000, for a gross monthly pay of KSh 29,700, plus a hardship allowance of KSh 6,600 given West Pokot’s hardship-area status.
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A Diploma-holding ECDE teacher is entitled to a basic salary of KSh 26,900, a house allowance of KSh 3,850 and a commuter allowance of KSh 4,000, bringing gross monthly pay to KSh 34,750, alongside a hardship allowance of KSh 8,200. Degree-holding teachers are entitled to a basic salary of KSh 39,700, a house allowance of KSh 9,600 and a commuter allowance of KSh 5,000, for a gross monthly salary of KSh 54,300, plus a hardship allowance of KSh 10,900.
Beyond the revised monthly pay, teachers are also seeking accumulated salary arrears, leave allowances, responsibility and acting allowances for supervisory roles, medical benefits and other entitlements tied to the agreement. Under the consent adopted by the court, the revised basic salaries were to take effect from January 2025, with the revised allowances scheduled for rollout from July 2025 through the county budget — timelines KUNNOPET says the county has not honoured.
The dispute cuts across all ECDE grades. For ECDE III teachers, it centres on payment of approved salary scales, allowances and accumulated arrears, while ECDE II and ECDE I teachers say their concern is delayed implementation of revised pay despite qualifying for higher remuneration through promotions and career progression. Senior ECDE teachers and centre managers argue that their expanded administrative and leadership responsibilities have not been matched with appropriate pay and allowances.
The West Pokot County Government has cited budgetary constraints as its reason for seeking more time to implement the revised structure, saying the changes carry significant financial implications for its books.
The outcome of the July 22 hearing is expected to shape the future of ECDE employment in West Pokot and could set a precedent for similar salary disputes involving county-employed ECDE teachers elsewhere in the country. Opiyo urged the county to respect the court process and comply with the agreement, while calling on union members to remain calm and continue serving learners professionally as the matter awaits determination.
By Hillary Muhalya
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