Teachers in Migori County are demanding urgent clarification from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) after their July pay slips revealed shockingly low salary increments and a puzzling deduction labeled “SwaL:KUPPET-Union.”
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Migori branch has written to TSC, citing a breach of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which promised substantial salary hikes. Instead, teachers say the increments are minimal and shrink further up the job groups.
“Our members are agitated. They signed up for better pay, not unexplained cuts,” said KUPPET Migori Executive Secretary Orwa Jasolo. “The increments get even smaller as you move up the job groups. It’s a betrayal.”
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The most contentious issue is the “SWAL” deduction, which appears alongside regular union fees. Teachers suspect it could be a second union charge, raising fears of double deductions. KUPPET is demanding: Full disclosure on the deduction’s purpose, clarification on its legality and necessity, immediate refunds if the deduction is unauthorized
In their letter to TSC, the union also seeks the implementation matrix used to calculate the CBA phases and a breakdown of how the salary adjustments were determined.
Sources close to the union suggest the deduction may be linked to a parallel union fee, but no official explanation has been provided. KUPPET insists that if this is the case, affected teachers must be reimbursed without delay.
The union has warned that failure by TSC to respond satisfactorily could trigger industrial action.
By Masaki Enock
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