The government has put on hold the implementation of a new report that reclassifies hardship areas across the country, following strong opposition from public servants, teachers, and political leaders, especially in marginalised counties.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced that the decision to suspend the rollout of the revised hardship areas was reached jointly with the Ministry of Education.

He said the move is meant to allow for a fresh assessment and consultations with stakeholders before any changes are adopted.

“We have decided to hold on to the report for now. We need to re-evaluate the report together with the stakeholders and elected leaders before its implementation,” Ruku stated during a tour of Samburu County.

The proposed changes had sparked anger in several regions, particularly arid and semi-arid counties, where public servants feared the review would strip them of hardship allowances.

Teachers and other government workers in Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, West Pokot, as well as parts of the Coast and North Eastern regions expressed concern that their working environments had not improved to justify removal from the hardship list.

Ruku sought to calm fears among public servants, assuring them that the allowances they currently receive remain intact while consultations continue.

“Let public servants not fear that their hardship allowances may be discontinued any time soon. The government is committed to ensuring there is rigorous public participation from all stakeholders before the implementation of the report,” he said.

The report’s suspension comes amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and teachers' unions who questioned the basis of the reclassification. Many saw it as an unfair attempt to sideline already struggling regions.

In Samburu, Senator Steve Lelegwe criticised the downgrading of the county’s status from an "extreme" to a "moderate" hardship zone, saying it failed to reflect the region’s reality on the ground.

“Sometimes you wonder why they decided to reclassify Samburu as a moderate working area. This region is actually extremely challenging owing to season-long challenges ranging from poor mobile network coverage to poor infrastructure,” Lelegwe said.

He added that insecurity, recurring droughts, and a lack of essential services made the county one of the toughest places to work and live, and that any attempt to downplay those conditions was unjust.

The temporary suspension of the report’s implementation now paves the way for a broader conversation between the government and stakeholders on how to determine genuine hardship zones, as the debate over fairness and equity in public service allowances continues.