Public school teachers in Kenya have secured a major victory following the signing of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) worth Sh33.7 billion between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and three major unions. The five-year deal, covering the 2025–2029 period, was signed on Friday, July 18, in Nairobi after over a year of negotiations.
The agreement will benefit over 400,000 teachers represented by 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).
The first phase of implementation is set to begin on July 1, 2025, with Sh8.4 billion allocated, including Sh1.2 billion in pension and statutory contributions from the employer.
TSC Chairperson Jamleck Muturi thanked President William Ruto for his support and emphasized the Commission’s commitment to enhancing teachers’ welfare. “It is only through this commitment that we can achieve the constitutional goal of guaranteeing quality basic education to all learners,” he said.
The government plans to bolster the teaching workforce further in the 2025/26 fiscal year by recruiting more teachers (Sh2.4 billion), promoting existing staff (Sh1 billion), and retooling senior school teachers (Sh950 million).
Several progressive provisions are included in the new CBA. These include pension benefits for teachers dismissed from service and the introduction of a two-hour daily breastfeeding allowance for lactating teachers for two months. A nationwide job evaluation exercise will also be conducted to inform revisions to the Career Progression Guidelines.
Union leaders hailed the agreement as a product of meaningful dialogue and a step forward in resolving long-standing issues in the education sector. “This agreement represents a major step toward improving the morale of teachers and ensuring better outcomes for learners across the country,” they said in a joint statement.
TSC reaffirmed its dedication to fully implementing the CBA and enhancing the dignity of the teaching profession, promising continued collaboration with all stakeholders to promote industrial harmony and quality education.
