A new Bill before Parliament could legally formalise allowances long demanded by teachers, setting clear terms and benefits for those in acting roles.
The Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, sponsored by Mandera South MP Abdul Haro, seeks to amend the TSC Act of 2012 by establishing a predictable framework for paying allowances and formalising acting appointments. It introduces Section 32A to set criteria for assigning acting duties.
An attached ‘Schedule Four’ lists nine allowances, including housing, commuter, hardship, responsibility, special school, reader’s facilitation, leave, and transfer allowances. While most will be non-pensionable, the responsibility allowance will contribute to a pension if earned until retirement.
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The Bill also requires the TSC to consult the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) when setting allowances. “The principal object of this Bill is to provide various allowances over and above basic pay,” Haro states.
Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge has invited public submissions by May 9, 2025, in line with constitutional and parliamentary requirements.
The proposals come amid growing union demands for better pay in the 2025–2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is pushing for a 60 per cent salary increase and enhanced allowances, while the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET seeks a 50–100 per cent rise and a risk allowance for science teachers.
Knut also demands overtime pay for public holiday work, extra credits for those in hardship areas, and acting allowances for unconfirmed deputies and departmental heads. Both unions faced earlier criticism for endorsing the 2021–2025 CBA without salary increases but defended their decision on legal grounds.
If passed, the Bill is expected to boost transparency, fairness, and morale within the teaching sector.
By Joseph Mambili
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