Teachers to Earn More as TSC Rolls Out New CBA Phase

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has rolled out the second phase of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), delivering a fresh salary adjustment to Kenya's public school teachers effective July 1, 2026. The revised pay scales, now reflected in the July payroll, benefit teachers across all cadres — from entry-level classroom instructors to school principals — though intern teachers remain excluded from this phase.

Monthly basic salary increases range from Ksh 693 at the lower end to a ceiling of Ksh 2,055 for Secondary Teacher I officers in Grade C3, according to Nation.Africa. Teachers in Grades C2 and C3 emerge as the strongest gainers in absolute terms, but adjustments touch every job group on the TSC pay structure.

Crucially, the new scales preserve continuity for serving teachers. Staff convert into the revised salary points without any change to their existing job grades or titles, and their incremental dates remain intact. All established allowances — including house, hardship, commuter, baggage, annual leave, and disability guide allowances — continue unchanged.

Pay Ranges Across Grades Under Phase II

Entry-grade Primary Teacher II officers in Grade B5 now draw a basic salary of between Ksh 28,620 and Ksh 37,100 per month. Mid-tier positions see considerably higher figures: a Grade C3 Secondary Teacher I earns between Ksh 49,781 and Ksh 66,233, while Deputy Principals II in Grade D2 take home between Ksh 91,041 and Ksh 114,147. School principals at Grade D3 earn Ksh 104,644 to Ksh 127,069, and Chief Principals at the top Grade D5 earn up to Ksh 156,868 per month.

Ksh 8.4 Billion Secured, Three More Phases to Come

The TSC secured Ksh 8.4 billion from the National Treasury to fund Phase II, part of an estimated total annual outlay of Ksh 16.8 billion for the year-long phase. A further Ksh 2 billion has been earmarked to fast-track promotions for approximately 30,000 teachers, with those promotions effective June 2026.

The CBA was negotiated jointly with 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). Two additional salary phases follow — in July 2027 and July 2028 — completing the four-year cycle that runs through to June 2029.

The commission is also restructuring career progression timelines alongside the pay rise. A new six-level framework is set to replace the existing Career Progression Guidelines, cutting the time required to reach the highest grade from up to 36 years down to between 15 and 18 years — a significant change for teachers earlier in their careers.

Some 20,000 intern teachers currently serving in public schools are being targeted for conversion to permanent and pensionable terms before the close of 2026, a move that would bring a substantial cohort into the CBA salary structure in a subsequent phase.

Sources: Nation.Africa.