KUPPET Demands Salary Hike and Improved Allowances
KUPPET is also advocating for a risk allowance for teachers working in hardship areas, laboratories, and workshops to address occupational hazards.

KUPPET demands salary hike and improved allowances to address teachers' welfare.
By Jessica Nyaboke
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is pushing for a salary increment of between 50% and 100% for its members in a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The union argues that the adjustment is essential to counter the rising cost of living, particularly the surge in prices of essential goods, such as fuel, since 2017.
Speaking on the issue, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori highlighted the need for salary adjustments and improved allowances.
“We are proposing the harmonization of house allowances to match those of Nairobi City, with a 20% increase. Additionally, we call for the creation of an extraneous allowance to support teachers who stand for long hours covering the curriculum,” Misori stated during a meeting in Uasin Gishu County.
KUPPET is also advocating for a risk allowance for teachers working in hardship areas, laboratories, and workshops to address occupational hazards.
Furthermore, the union demands a 20% increment in commuter allowance, which has remained unchanged since 2013, and harmonization of house allowances for teachers in major towns like Mombasa, Nairobi, Eldoret, and Nakuru.
The union presented these demands in a memorandum to President William Ruto during a meeting at State House last week.
During the meeting, union officials, including Deputy Secretary General Moses Nturima and National Vice Chairman Julius Korir, defended their decision to suspend a recent nationwide teachers’ strike that disrupted learning for over a month.
The decision faced backlash from some union branches, which claimed they were not consulted.
Misori emphasized that the strike achieved some critical milestones.
“When you engage the employer in meaningful talks and secure an agreement, you are technically out of the strike. It is important that unions lead in announcing negotiation outcomes, whether positive or negative,” he said.
Nturima called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to recognize qualified primary school teachers with additional certifications and improve the remuneration of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, noting they perform duties similar to those of senior secondary teachers.
Korir, on his part, expressed concern over an increase in cases of teachers engaging in unethical behavior, including illicit affairs with students and gambling, which have led to disciplinary actions and desertion of duties.
He urged teachers to uphold professional ethics and called for the decentralization of disciplinary processes to expedite resolution.
Korir also criticized the poor working conditions for national examination examiners and urged the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to improve their terms of service.
KUPPET remains steadfast in advocating for better welfare and working conditions for teachers, underscoring their crucial role in the country’s education sector.