Teachers across the country will receive their July salaries on August 1, marking nearly a one-week delay in the monthly pay.
According to Teachers Service Commission (TSC) insiders, the majority of teachers, who expected to receive their pay on Monday, July 28, will have to wait until Friday.
The delay has been attributed to the implementation of a new salary structure under the 2025-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed on July 19. The agreement, however, is effective July 1.
Teachers traditionally receive their pay by the 26th of every month. TSC says the delay will provide room to finalise adjustments to align with revised pay scales and allowances under the new agreement.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) inked a four-year deal worth Ksh33 billion.
“After the long journey of detailed and thorough negotiations, we are delighted to inform our more than 400,000 teachers that we have a CBA deal for the period 2025-2029, which we have signed with the elected representatives of KNUT, KUSNET, and KUPPET today,” the statement read.
Under the new agreement, teachers in the highest job group (D5) are set to earn up to Ksh167,415, marking a five per cent increase in their salaries.
Overall, the new CBA marks an increase of up to 29.5 per cent across job grades.
The lowest-paid teachers (Grade B5) will see their pay rise from approximately Ksh23,000 to roughly Ksh29,000, while top-tier teachers (Grade D5) will earn up to Ksh167,415 per month.
Schools are expected to close for the August holidays this week, amid uncertainty over the future of free primary and secondary education.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) warned that parents could be forced to pay up to Ksh7,800 every year to support their children in public day schools.
School heads say the government has consistently failed to release the Ksh22,244 capitation per student, with some schools receiving as low as Ksh9,000 per year.
Already, the government is facing a storm after the Treasury confirmed it is disbursing only Ksh16,900 per learner, hinting at plans to cut the Ksh22,244 capitation. President William Ruto has dismissed these claims, insisting education remains a priority of his Kenya Kwanza government.
Parents, politicians and teachers have voiced concerns and uncertainty over the fate of the free education scheme, with the coming weeks being crucial for the government to quell the concerns.
