An outstanding agreement has been sealed between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and two prominent teachers’ unions, promising a significant financial uplift for educators across Kenya. The new 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), valued at KSh 33 billion, is set to usher in a new era of improved remuneration, with a strong focus on benefiting classroom teachers, particularly those at the lower end of the pay scale.
The deal, signed on July 18, 2025, after intense negotiations, will see salaries increase by 5% for the highest-earning teachers (Job Group D5), who will now take home up to KSh 167,415 monthly. Essentially, the lowest-paid teachers are the biggest winners, with their salaries set to jump by an impressive 29.6%. This means a teacher currently earning around KSh 23,000 will see their pay rise to approximately KSh 29,000.
This multi level increase structure is a deliberate move to correct historical imbalances, as noted by Akelo Misori, Secretary General of KUPPET, emphasizing a shift back to supporting the “base of the teaching pyramid”. The agreement projects an annual salary adjustment budget of KSh 8.4 billion, totaling KSh 33 billion over the five-year cycle ending June 30, 2029. Teachers can expect to see revised paychecks as early as the end of July 2025.
The new basic monthly pay ranges are as follows:
B5: KSh 28,600–KSh 37,100
C1: KSh 35,300–KSh 47,300
C2: KSh 41,400–KSh 57,200
C3: KSh 49,800–KSh 66,200
C4: KSh 58,600–KSh 77,100
C5: KSh 69,700–KSh 96,100
D1: KSh 81,000–KSh 99,300
D2: KSh 95,300–KSh 116,000
D3: KSh 109,200–KSh 133,300
D4: KSh 121,800–KSh 150,700
D5: KSh 135,300–KSh 167,400
Big Win for Teachers as TSC Unveils Massive Pay Rise and Promotions in Historic 2025 Deal
Beyond salary increments, the deal also includes the phasing out of the controversial Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), a system introduced in 2018 that had faced intense opposition from teachers due to its rigidity and punitive nature.
While allowances largely remain unchanged for now, the unions anticipate further discussions on this front next year. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) were signatories to this agreement, while the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) continues its negotiations with TSC.
The agreement marks a significant step towards improving the welfare and morale of Kenyan teachers.
