Teachers receive 29.5 per cent salary increase in new CBA agreement
By Nancy Marende, July 19, 2025Teachers across all cadres in the country are set to receive a 29.5 per cent salary increase, effective July 1, 2025.
This is after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) signed the 2025/2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Kenya Union of Special Needs Teachers (KUSNET), the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET).
In a statement on Saturday, July 19, 2025, TSC stated that the increment aims to bridge the wage gap between the highest- and lowest-paid teachers in the public service.
“In order to address the concerns raised by teachers through their unions, and after elaborate negotiations, the Commission has awarded a salary increment of up to 29.5 per cent for our various cadres of staff. This award is geared towards bridging the wage gap between the highest and lowest paid teachers in the public service,” TSC stated.
“The first phase of the new CBA will be effective from 1st July, 2025, at a cost of Ksh8.4 billion in salaries and allowances, with more than Ksh1.2 billion being the employer’s contribution to the teacher’s pension scheme and other statutory deductions,” read the statement.
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Other provisions in the agreement
Furthermore, the TSC will recruit additional teachers at a cost of Ksh 2.4 billion, promote teachers across all cadres at a cost of Ksh1 billion, and retool senior school teachers at a cost of Ksh950 million in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Additionally, teachers who exit service through dismissal shall be entitled to pension benefits. The Commission will conduct a job evaluation exercise for the teaching service and review the career progression guidelines in consultation with the unions.
“The Commission shall grant female lactating teachers two (2) hours’ time off per day for two (2) months to breastfeed,” TSC revealed.
TSC commended the leadership of the three teacher unions for working with the Commission round the clock to ensure that pertinent issues affecting teachers are resolved through meaningful social dialogue, thereby institutionalising collective bargaining in the teaching service.
“We applaud all our teachers for the work they are doing, and the sacrifices they make each day, and the patience they have had with us as we negotiated with their unions. We undertake to double our efforts to serve you with dedication and commitment for the benefit of our learners.”