Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is under renewed pressure to open the Benevolent Fund Scheme (BBS) to members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), with union leaders warning that financial hardship is pushing some educators to the brink.
Speaking on Saturday during the KNUT Bungoma South Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Kanduyi D.E.B Comprehensive Primary School, Western Region National Executive Council (NEC) member Moses Masika described the BBS as a potential lifeline for many teachers.
“Many of them are actually dying,” Masika said, stressing the urgency of the matter. He argued that granting KNUT members access to the fund would not only improve teachers’ financial security but also help sustain the scheme in the long term.
The BBS is designed to provide financial support to members and their families in times of bereavement or severe need. Currently, KNUT members are excluded from participating, a situation Masika says is unjust given the mounting economic challenges faced by teachers across the country.
Beyond the BBS issue, Masika used the platform to rally members behind the recently signed 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The Ksh33 billion deal, signed on July 19 by TSC, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET), promises salary adjustments across all job groups.
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Under the agreement, teachers in the highest job group (D5) will see their salaries rise to Ksh167,415 , a 5% increase while the lowest-paid teachers will earn about Ksh29,000, up from Ksh23,000.
“Every benefit counts,” Masika told delegates, urging them to value both monetary and non-monetary gains in the CBA. He also reminded members that the agreement can still be improved before 2029, pointing to a review clause in the addendum that allows for amendments and additional benefits.
His remarks come amid growing calls from within KNUT for more aggressive advocacy on teacher welfare, particularly as the cost of living continues to climb.
The AGM, attended by hundreds of teachers from Bungoma South and surrounding areas, also addressed other union matters, including professional development and strategies for strengthening KNUT’s bargaining power.
Masika’s appeal to TSC adds to mounting pressure for policy changes aimed at cushioning teachers against economic shocks, a conversation likely to intensify as the new CBA comes into effect.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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