The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is pushing for a basic salary increase of between Kshs.10,000 to over Ksh50,000 in different job grades for teachers in its proposed 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) submitted to the Teachers Service Commission, Education News can now reveal.
In the CBA document seen by Education News, KNUT is demanding that lower cadre teachers at Grade B5 get a minimum basic salary of Shs.32, 634 from the current Kshs23, 830 which represents an increase of over Khs.8, 000; while the maximum earning in that grade be Shs.40, 793 from the current Shs.29, 787, being an increase of over Shs.10, 000.
For the teachers in higher cadre at Grade D5, that is the Chief Principals, KNUT is pushing for an increase of over Shs.50,000 with the lowest earning teacher in that grade taking home Shs.183,932 from the current Shs.131,380; while the highest earning teacher in this grade to get Shs.220,718 from the current Shs.162,539. See table for more details.
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At the same time, the union wants the Commission to give top priority merit and ability as reflected in the work performance and results, seniority, experience, and qualifications in selecting candidates for promotion.
The union also wants teachers in arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) and hard to staff areas who act in in administrative positions for six months be confirmed for substantive appointment in those positions.
“Under no circumstance shall employees be made to stagnate in one job group/grade for more than five (5) years. Teachers in ASAL and hard to staff areas who are serving in administrative positions and do not have the requisite qualifications for promotion, shall be awarded three incremental credit,” reads the CBA document in part.
At one point KNUT revealed that a total of 15,898 teachers have never been promoted for the last 15 years despite them possessing requisite qualifications, skills and experience, noting that the teachers were interviewed to the next grade by the TSC between 2023 and January 2024 with a good number of them nearing retirement.
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The union attributed this stagnation to inadequate funding from the National Treasury and CPG for teachers developed by the Commission in 2018 which it called for its review comprehensively.
On Teacher Professional Development (TPD) KNUT in the proposed CBA want the cost be catered for by the employer and TSC to provide accredited institutions to offer the programme in every county.
It also wants the credit or points earned by teachers after successful completion of the programme be used for promotion, adding that teachers who will be attending the TPD programme shall be deemed to be on duty and shall be entitled to all the privileges and benefits in the teaching service.
KNUT wants a bipartite committee to be developed by TSC in consultation with the union to review the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) system, in a bid to reduce the paper work involved in the process and making it most convenient for teachers to undertake.
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Review of CPG
Regarding the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) which the union has decried for a long time has led to stagnation; KNUT wants it be reviewed within three months after signing of the agreement through a bipartite committee appointed by TSC in consultation with the union.
KNUT has always maintained that the CPG for teachers has failed in its aims in several ways hence a need to be reviewed by the Commission or return to Scheme of Service which was there before for promotion of teachers, since it has failed to address its intended purpose of minimum requirements for selection, appointment, recruitment and promotion and also failed to attract, motivate and facilitate retention of competent teachers making them to serve because they have no other option.
“Worse still, Career Guidelines are supposed to offer professional development of teachers through Teacher Professional Development (TPD) – for unexplained, this is not happening.
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Based on the aforementioned facts, and experiences, KNUT makes a stand that Career Progression Guidelines should either be reviewed comprehensively or TSC reverts to the Scheme of Service for Teachers Common Cadre Establishment Promotion, and the Competitive Promotion as outlined in Regulations 73, 74, 75 and 76 of Part VI of the Code of Regulations for Teachers (2015),” said the union Secretary General Collins Oyuu when he appeared before the National Assembly Petition Committee last year.
| KNUT’s Proposed Basic Salary Per Month by Grade | ||||||
| Grade | TSC Scale | Current | Proposed | No. of Notches | ||
| Minimum (Shs.) | Maximum (Shs.) | Minimum (Shs.) | Maximum (Shs.) | |||
| B5 | 5 | 23,830 | 29,787 | 32,634 | 40,793 | 9 |
| C1 | 6 | 29,787 | 37,234 | 40,793 | 50,991 | 9 |
| C2 | 7 | 38,286 | 47,858 | 50,685 | 63,356 | 9 |
| C3 | 8 | 45,671 | 59,084 | 62,573 | 78,217 | 9 |
| C4 | 9 | 52,308 | 68,857 | 75,847 | 94,808 | 9 |
| C5 | 10 | 62,272 | 79,651 | 90,294 | 112,868 | 9 |
| D1 | 11 | 78,625 | 96,381 | 108,976 | 130,771 | 10 |
| D2 | 12 | 92,496 | 112,633 | 127,457 | 152,949 | 10 |
| D3 | 13 | 106,043 | 129,463 | 146,502 | 175,802 | 10 |
| D4 | 14 | 118,242 | 146,286 | 165,539 | 198,647 | 10 |
| D5 | 15 | 131,380 | 162,539 | 183,932 | 220,718 | 10 |
By Hezron Roy
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