Teachers have renewed calls for better pay and improved welfare, accusing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of failing to protect their interests after the latest public sector salary review widened the gap between teachers and other civil servants.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) says teachers are now among the lowest paid professionals in government despite bearing the responsibility of educating the country’s future workforce.
Speaking Wednesday, KUPPET officials said the newly gazetted 2026/2027 salary review has significantly increased salary disparities between teachers and officers serving under the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“Regrettably, the disparities are back again, with the Public Service Commission awarding disproportionately higher benefits to its employees compared to the package offered by the Teachers Service Commission,” KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori said.
According to KUPPET, civil servants in comparable grades are earning up to 60% more than teachers, while the disparity is even greater at the top of the salary structure.
The union noted that the highest paid civil servant under Grade E4 earns up to KSh576,000 per month, compared to KSh133,354 earned by the highest paid teacher in Grade D5. This represents a monthly difference of KSh442,646, meaning the top civil servant earns more than four times what the highest-paid teacher receives.
The union further argued that teachers’ career progression effectively ends at Grade D5, while civil servants continue to advance to Grade E4, denying teachers opportunities for promotion and higher earnings.
“TSC is prefecting teachers like they are not supposed to be paid like other public service officials. If TSC cannot negotiate with SRC and other govt agencies then we don’t need TSC “ Chaiperso KUPPET Omboko Milemba said.
Beyond salaries, KUPPET also raised concerns over the implementation of the Teachers Medical Scheme under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The union said that despite two joint communiqués signed between SHA and KUPPET in March and April this year to address shortcomings in the medical scheme, teachers continue to face delayed approvals for diagnostic tests, pre authorization bottlenecks, system outages and interruptions in accessing healthcare services.
According to the union, some teachers are still being forced to pay out of pocket for diagnostic tests and treatment that should be covered under the medical scheme.
It further cited frequent system downtimes, delays in verifying teachers’ eligibility at accredited hospitals, poor customer service, slow establishment of county joint committees to handle complaints and the absence of a dedicated toll-free line for teachers seeking assistance.
At the same time, the union demanded the immediate payment of teachers who marked the 2025 Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) examinations.
“We have put the Kenya National Examinations Council on notice for the delayed settlement of dues to examiners,” the statement said.
The union is now calling on the Teachers Service Commission, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the Social Health Authority and the Ministry of Education to urgently address salary disparities, improve teachers’ welfare and honour agreements reached with the union.
