The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs education Teachers (KUSNET) have opposed the hardship zones, saying that it is sidelining key stakeholders in the decision that could potentially disrupt the education sector.
Teachers opposed the directive to reclassify hardship areas, warning that thousands of them stand to lose critical allowances without proper consultation.
The backlash follows revelation by Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi that the government plans to implement a 2019 report aimed at rationalizing hardship zones to save Kshs 6 billion annually across the public service by reducing payments from Kshs 25 billion to Kshs 19 billion.
Teachers forming the single-largest group of government employees with thousands stationed in areas gazetted as hardship zones, earning 30 per cent of the hardship allowances.
Teacher unions came out angry, criticized the abrupt nature of the move, saying, they learned about the reclassification plan via media reports.
“This kind of action can be dangerous to employees. If a place has to be removed from hardship, that notice has to come in good time so that people can adjust,” Knut Sec-gen Oyuu said.
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Oyuu continued by saying that, the review of the hardship places means the hardship allowances accorded to civil servants specifically teachers, will be at stake, further adding that over the year, hardship allowances have served as critical incentives for public servants to accept postings in remote and understaffed areas under challenging conditions.
“Most of our members are serving loans and if this allowance is what was cushioning them, then removing it, is inhuman,” Oyuu said
He also noted that while the issue had not officially been communicated, Knut had called an internal committee meeting to discuss the matter.
KUSNET has also shared similar sentiments, noting that touching teachers allowances during hard economic times in unfair and uncalled for.
“Any allowance on unionized member can only be reviewed by the two parties that signed the collective bargaining agreement, and in this case the union and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Any other party is a stranger,” said Kusnet Sec-gen James Torome.
Torome also emphasized that the CBA is legally binding, registered and cannot be unilaterally altered.
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“Kusnet as an organization has not been consulted and if they try to push this down our throats, they are inviting teachers to the streets,” Torome warned, citing Article 41 of the Constitution, which guarantees fair labour practices.
He further noted that an upward review of hardship allowance was a key proposal by the union in the 2025/29 CBA whose negotiations have yet to begin.
The Unions warned that stripping teachers of hardship allowances would hurt morale and staffing in affected areas, many of which struggle with teacher shortages and high attrition rates.
By Brian Ndigo
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