Relief for former teachers as terminal dues are approved
A TSC survey conducted between March and July 2022 indicated that an average of 44 teachers retire, die, or resign each day.
Thousands of teachers who left the profession through resignation or dismissal on or after April 6, 2018, are set to receive terminal benefits that they previously lost, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has confirmed.
In a circular addressed to all teachers, acting secretary and CEO Evaleen Mitei instructed that affected teachers or their beneficiaries should reach out to the nearest TSC county or sub-county office to get guidance on the required documents for processing their claims.
This change is part of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in July between the commission and teachers’ unions.
For the first time, the CBA clearly provides that teachers who exit service through resignation or dismissal are entitled to terminal benefits, including gratuity and pension. Previously, those who left under such circumstances forfeited these payments entirely.
The commission has not revealed how many teachers left service during this period through resignation or dismissal. It only regularly publishes the names of teachers struck off the register due to serious disciplinary cases.
Data on the TSC website shows that 470 teachers have been removed from the register over the past five years.
A TSC survey conducted between March and July 2022 indicated that an average of 44 teachers retire, die, or resign each day.
Additional commission data shows that between June 2022 and January 2023, the TSC lost 8,018 teachers over a six-month period, averaging about 1,336 teachers per month.
“The affected teachers or their beneficiaries are required to submit the documents through their respective sub-county directors. The sub-county directors will verify the documents to ascertain accuracy and completeness before forwarding them to the county directors for onward submission to the TSC head office,” the circular reads.
The circular also provides a detailed list of the documents required for processing claims.
These include identification papers, bank account details, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN certificates, and in the case of deceased teachers, death certificates to be submitted by their beneficiaries.
The commission emphasized that all submissions must be verified by sub-county directors before moving to the county level and finally to the TSC headquarters for final processing.
This move brings relief to thousands of former teachers and their families, who for years were denied terminal benefits after leaving service through resignation or dismissal.
The TSC says the policy ensures fair treatment for all teachers, aligning with the terms negotiated in the new CBA with unions.
