Teachers reject government plan to cut hardship allowances

Teacher unions have voiced strong opposition to a government plan to reclassify hardship areas, saying the move will unfairly cut allowances for thousands of teachers without proper engagement.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) have both criticised the decision, warning that it could destabilise the education system and strain the lives of teachers working in remote areas.

Their protest comes after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed plans to implement a 2019 report aimed at reducing the cost of hardship allowances from Sh25 billion to Sh19 billion, with the goal of saving the public service Sh6 billion each year.

Teachers, who make up the largest portion of public employees, are among the main recipients of hardship allowances, which account for 30% of their basic salaries.

The unions say they were not informed or involved in the discussions, and many teachers first heard about the changes through media reports.

“This kind of action can be dangerous for employees. If a place has to be removed from hardship, that notice has to come in good time so that people can adjust,” said KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu.

The unions argue that hardship allowances have for years acted as a key motivation for public servants posted to remote regions with poor infrastructure, insecurity, and lack of services.

Removing them, they say, would be harmful and unfair.

"Most of our members are servicing loans, and if this allowance is what was cushioning them, then removing it is inhuman," Oyuu added.

He also noted that the union had not received official communication on the matter but had already convened an internal committee to address the issue.

Kusnet echoed the concerns, saying that making changes to union-negotiated allowances without involving stakeholders was unacceptable.

"Any allowance on unionised members can only be reviewed by the two parties that signed the collective bargaining agreement—in this case, the union and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Any other party is a stranger," said KUSNET Secretary-General James Torome.

He pointed out that the collective bargaining agreement is not only legally binding but also registered and cannot be changed without the consent of the signatories.

"KUSNET as an organisation has not been consulted, and if they try to push this down our throats, they are inviting teachers to the streets," Torome warned, citing Article 41 of the Constitution, which upholds fair labour practices.

Torome also said that Kusnet had included an upward review of hardship allowances in its proposals for the 2025–2029 CBA, which is yet to be negotiated.

The unions cautioned that taking away hardship allowances could reduce teacher morale and lead to staffing problems in areas that already face a shortage of educators and high turnover.

They are now demanding that the government halt the plan until proper consultations are held, warning that failure to do so will spark resistance from the teaching workforce.