The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Nairobi branch has formally petitioned Parliament, demanding that Nairobi be recognised as a hardship posting. The teachers are arguing that soaring living costs, insecurity, and daily work pressures have made the city as difficult to serve as remote regions already on the hardship list.
For years, Nairobi was considered a preferred destination for teachers seeking transfers from rural areas, thanks to better amenities. But KNUT officials say the city has changed dramatically, with traffic congestion, sprawling informal settlements, political unrest, and rising substance abuse now defining the environment.
Branch Executive Secretary Mugwe Macharia said teachers are struggling with transport costs that consume a large share of their pay, while those working in informal settlements face daily risks of muggings, robberies, and even sexual assault.
Nairobi currently hosts 211 public primary schools, 107 secondary schools, and 193 junior schools attached to primary institutions. KNUT argues that educators in these institutions are grappling with overcrowded classrooms, poor transport links, and escalating costs of living, conditions that meet the criteria for hardship designation.
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Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku told the Senate in November that a multi‑agency task force will review hardship zones nationwide to ensure fairness in classification. Hardship areas are typically recognised where public servants face poor infrastructure, limited access to water and electricity, high crime rates, harsh terrain or climate, and difficulty in obtaining food and essential services.
KNUT insists Nairobi now fits this description and should be included in the list, saying recognition would provide fair compensation for the difficult conditions teachers endure daily.
If approved, teachers in the city would qualify for a 30 per cent hardship allowance on top of their salaries.
By Masaki Enock
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