Teachers across Kenya are set to receive enhanced salaries by the end of July after the government allocated Sh8.4 billion to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to facilitate the second phase of salary reviews under the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
TSC Chairman Dr Jamleck Muturi has confirmed that teachers should expect the additional earnings to reflect in their bank accounts from July 20, following the implementation of the revised salary structure.
Dr Muturi made the announcement during a ceremony at Mbiriri Comprehensive School in Kieni, Nyeri County, where he joined Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba for the school's education day celebrations.
The event was also attended by Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira, PS for Gender Anne Wang'ombe, PS for Correctional Services Salome Muhia, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Government Spokesperson Dr Isaac Mwaura, and other professionals from the Central region.
New Salary Structure Unveiled
Under the new salary structure, the lowest-paid teacher, a Primary Teacher II in Grade B5, will earn between Sh26,225 and Sh33,444 per month. At the other end of the scale, the highest-paid teacher, a Chief Principal in Grade D5, will receive between Sh133,351 and Sh164,977 monthly. The revised salary structure took effect on July 1, 2026, and covers teachers from Grade B5 to Grade D5.
Other grades under the new structure include Secondary Teacher III and Primary Teacher I in Grade C1, who will earn between Sh32,423 and Sh41,072. Secondary Teacher II in Grade C2 will earn between Sh41,100 and Sh50,287, while Secondary Teacher I in Grade C3 will receive between Sh48,754 and Sh62,659.
Teachers in Grade C4 will earn between Sh57,667 and Sh72,988, while those in Grade C5 will receive between Sh68,948 and Sh82,160. School administrators in Grade D1 will earn between Sh80,500 and Sh97,827, while those in Grade D2 will receive between Sh93,883 and Sh114,322.
Principals and Chief Curriculum Support Officers in Grade D3 will earn between Sh107,634 and Sh131,405, Senior Principals in Grade D4 between Sh120,016 and Sh148,480, and Chief Principals in Grade D5 between Sh133,351 and Sh164,977.
Dr Muturi said the salary adjustment was a major step towards improving teachers' welfare and motivation, noting that better remuneration would enable educators to focus on improving learning outcomes. "When the teacher is paid well, they stay motivated to teach the learner well and ensure they excel," he said.
The salary increase marks the beginning of the second phase of the four-year CBA implementation schedule signed in July 2025 between the TSC and teachers' unions, including the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET).
The first phase of the agreement was implemented in July 2025, while subsequent phases will be rolled out according to the agreed schedule. Phase three is scheduled for July 2027, with the final phase set for July 2028.
Massive Promotions on the Way
The TSC chairman said the commission was also taking additional measures to improve teachers' career progression through promotions.
He revealed that more than 270,000 teachers had been promoted in the last three years and that the commission would advertise promotion opportunities for more than 35,000 teachers in August this year.
According to Dr Muturi, the government has allocated Sh2 billion to support the promotion exercise, which will cover teachers across different job groups.
"The government has promoted 270,000 in the last three years. In Nyeri, 2,395 teachers were promoted. The government has set aside money for more promotions, and we are urging all eligible teachers to apply for the promotions which will be advertised next month," he said.
The planned promotions come at a time when concerns over delayed career progression have dominated discussions within the teaching profession.
Many teachers have remained in the same grades for extended periods, prompting fresh budgetary allocations to accelerate career progression.
The government has also increased the TSC budget from Sh387.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year to Sh422.6 billion in the 2026/27 financial year to support teacher management and welfare.
Intern Teachers to Get Permanent Jobs
In a move that will bring relief to thousands of junior secondary school teachers, Dr Muturi also announced that TSC had received Sh4.8 billion to facilitate the conversion of 20,000 junior school intern teachers into permanent and pensionable employment.
He said the move would address concerns among junior secondary school teachers who have worked under internship arrangements since 2023.
The transition to permanent and pensionable terms guarantees these educators job security, comprehensive health insurance, and retirement benefits. A further 24,000 intern teachers are expected to follow in July 2027.
TSC has also outlined a two-phase plan to transition all 44,000 teachers currently serving under internship terms into permanent and pensionable employment.
Government's Investment in Education
Speaking during the same event, CS Ogamba defended the government's increased investment in the education sector, saying education remains central to Kenya's social and economic transformation.
He said the government had invested heavily in addressing human resource needs while also improving infrastructure to support the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Ogamba said more than 23,000 classrooms had been constructed across the country in the last three years to reduce congestion in schools and provide learners with safe and modern learning environments.
"Across all areas of our country and during the last three years, we have constructed over 23,000 classrooms to support the implementation of the CBE, to decongest schools and provide learners with safe, modern and conducive learning environments," he said.
He added that the government was also constructing 1,600 laboratories in senior schools during the current financial year to strengthen practical learning, particularly under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pathway.
"These investments will help accommodate a growing learner population, improve learner welfare and provide an even more conducive environment for teaching and learning," Ogamba said.
The CS said education had received 30 per cent of the national budget allocation for the 2026/2027 financial year, describing it as the highest allocation to the sector since independence.
"This administration believes in education as an equaliser, and that's why we are putting in resources, in human capacity, and infrastructure; we are reforming the sector, and we are looking at the curriculum so that we produce future-ready citizens," he said.
Warning Against Illegal Levies
Ogamba also warned heads of learning institutions against imposing illegal and unauthorised levies on parents. He said the ministry was working with TSC to take action against principals found charging fees that had not been approved through the required procedures.
"Unless the levy is approved or it has gone through the process and it has been accepted by the parents or the levy has gone through the ministry protocols and approval has been given, making it legal, then that can be charged," Ogamba said.
He said any school head found violating regulations would face disciplinary action to ensure smooth operations in learning institutions.
TVET Enrolment on the Rise
The CS also dismissed claims that enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions had declined, attributing the perception to the introduction of the modularised training system.
He explained that the new model allows trainees to complete short courses within a few months, unlike the previous system where learners took two to three years to complete training.
Ogamba said the number of TVET trainees had actually increased significantly, rising from 397,000 before the 2023/2024 academic year to more than 850,000 by May 2026.
"There isn't a drop, trainees have just finished their certification and gone. Pre 2023/2024 we had 397,000 TVET trainees in our institutions. As at May 2026, we had over 850,000 because of the change in the modularised system," he said.
He assured TVET trainees that the government was working with Parliament to streamline the funding system to ensure students do not drop out due to financial challenges.
The announcements represent a significant boost for the teaching profession, with improved salaries, mass promotions, and the conversion of intern teachers to permanent terms expected to enhance morale and improve learning outcomes across the country.
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