- KNUT says the latest salary adjustments have fallen short of teachers’ expectations under the 2025–2029 CBA.
- Secretary-General Collins Oyuu wants TSC to explain how the Phase II salary increments were calculated.
- The union says it will engage the employer over concerns raised by teachers across the country.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has rejected the implementation of Phase II of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), arguing that the salary adjustments reflected in teachers’ latest payslips fall far short of the expectations created during negotiations.
KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said teachers across the country have expressed disappointment after receiving their revised salaries, insisting that the actual increase in take-home pay does not reflect what was agreed during the negotiations.
“The implementation has not met the expectations of teachers,” Oyuu said, maintaining that the increases appearing in the payslips are significantly lower than anticipated.
The union has called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to urgently address concerns surrounding the implementation of the agreement and provide clarity on how the salary adjustments were arrived at.
Union seeks explanation from TSC
The dispute comes barely a year after TSC signed the four-year 2025–2029 CBA with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET).
The agreement, which took effect on July 1, 2025, provides for phased salary reviews over four years rather than a one-off increment, with the second phase scheduled for implementation from July 1, 2026.
During negotiations, the unions pushed for substantial salary improvements to cushion teachers against the rising cost of living, while TSC maintained that implementation would depend on the availability of funds and approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Although teachers welcomed the implementation of the second phase, many expected a more significant improvement in their monthly earnings than what has been reflected in the current payroll.
According to Oyuu, the salary adjustments have failed to meet those expectations, prompting the union to seek further engagement with the employer.
“We negotiated in good faith and teachers expected the implementation to reflect the spirit of the agreement,” he said.
TSC yet to respond
The Teachers Service Commission had not issued an official response to KNUT’s concerns by the time of going to press.
The commission has previously maintained that implementation of the CBA is undertaken within the approved budget and in line with guidance from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). The 2025–2029 CBA provides for phased implementation of salary reviews throughout its four-year lifespan.
The latest disagreement revives a familiar dispute between teachers’ unions and the employer over the interpretation and implementation of negotiated pay awards.
In previous CBAs, KNUT accused the National Treasury and TSC of delaying or underfunding negotiated salary increments, arguing that collective bargaining agreements are legally binding and should be implemented in full.
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With teachers now questioning the value of the latest adjustments, attention is expected to shift to fresh consultations between KNUT and TSC to determine whether any further review or clarification of the Phase II implementation will be undertaken.
By Joseph Mambili
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