Teachers Demand 60% Pay Rise and Better Conditions in New 2025 CBA Push
Kenya’s teachers have renewed their calls for better pay and working conditions, demanding a 60 per cent salary increase in the upcoming 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has stated that the current non-monetary CBA has failed to cushion educators from the relentless rise in the cost of living.
In a strongly worded statement, KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) are at an advanced stage and that the new agreement is expected to be signed by July 2025.
“We are at the tail end of negotiations and look forward to signing this vital document by July,” Oyuu said, affirming that the union is operating within Kenya’s legal framework for labor relations.
A History of Frustration
Teachers have long expressed dissatisfaction with previous CBAs, particularly the 2021–2025 agreement, which lacked any financial incentives. Many educators viewed that deal as a betrayal, especially since it coincided with rising inflation and stagnating pay. Despite promises from both KNUT and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) that they had little legal room to reject it, teachers across the country remained unconvinced.
The discontent came to a head in August 2024, when a nationwide strike paralyzed learning institutions. At the heart of the strike were grievances over stalled promotions, delayed medical fund disbursements, and what teachers saw as the government’s consistent failure to honor previous agreements.
While President William Ruto later intervened to authorize a 10 per cent pay rise for teachers in the 2024–2025 budget cycle, union officials now argue that this was merely a band-aid over a much deeper wound.
Beyond the Paycheck
The proposed 2025–2029 CBA goes far beyond salary demands. KNUT is advocating for sweeping reforms in the education sector aimed at improving the quality of life and professional well-being of teachers.
Among the union’s top priorities are:
- Structured Sabbatical Leave: Allowing teachers to pursue academic advancement or professional research without risking their employment.
- Faster Disciplinary Processes: All disciplinary cases to be resolved within one month, with appeals settled in three months.
- Fair Compensation for Extra Work: Including overtime pay, acting allowances, and extraneous allowances for duties beyond regular teaching hours.
- Improved Leave Benefits: Proposing that leave allowance be equivalent to one month’s basic salary.
- Allowances for Risk and Hardship: Incremental credits for teachers in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) and risk allowances for those working in volatile regions.
- Political Freedom: Teachers who run for political office should be allowed to return to their jobs without discrimination if they lose.
A Tense Transition
These negotiations come at a pivotal moment, with TSC CEO Nancy Macharia set to exit office in June 2025 after a decade of service. The education sector is watching closely to see whether the Commission will finalize the CBA before her departure or leave a complex transition for her successor.
KNUT’s First Vice-Chair Malel Langat emphasized the urgency of government action.
“We shouldn’t have to strike or plead to have CBAs honored. We are professionals and deserve to be treated as such. Teachers are not asking for favors—they’re asking for fairness.”
As the countdown to July continues, the fate of over 300,000 teachers now hangs in the balance. Will this be the CBA that finally addresses long-standing grievances, or another document that gathers dust?
In other news:Kenyan Universities on the Brink: Are Our Institutions Failing?
Teachers Demand 60% Pay Rise and Better Conditions in New 2025 CBA Push