The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) pays Commuter allowance to all teachers on the payroll. This is an allowance paid to teachers, monthly, to cater for transport costs to duty. Chief Principals at Grade D5 receive the highest amount of monthly commuter allowance. These teachers receive Sh16,000 per month as Commuter allowance.
Senior Principals at grade D4 and Principals at grade D3 get a monthly commuter allowance of Sh14,000.
On their part, Deputy Principals III at grade D2 and Deputy Principal IV & Senior Master II at grade D1 receive Sh12,000 as monthly commuter allowance.
Senior Masters II (grade C5) and Deputy Head Teachers (Grade C4) equally get a commuter allowance of Sh8,000.
Secondary school teachers at grade C3 are paid a monthly commuter allowance of Sh6,000. Note that this is the largest group of secondary school teachers.
The least paid teacher at grade B5 receives a monthly commuter pay of Sh4,000.
Summary of Commuter allowances paid to teachers by TSC
Here is the full table showing the commuter allowances paid to teachers per job group.
Teachers working in hardship areas get a special allowance called ‘hardship allowance’. The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, pays extra allowances (hardship allowances) to teachers working in areas classified as hardship. While classifying an area to be a hardship area, the locality must meet any of these conditions:
Lack of or unavailability or inaccessibility to food,
Inadequate transport and communication network,
Limited basic social services and amenities,
Persistent harsh climatic conditions like flooding, landslides and drought,
Insecurity and high possibility of security threats.
Hardship allowance is therefore paid in an effort to compensate for the cost of living for teachers working in areas designated as hardship. Like stated above, teachers working in hardship areas face a myriad of challenges; from lack of water, flooding to hostile living conditions characterized by constant spates of attacks.
In December, 2014, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, SRC, reviewed hardship allowance to be paid at a flat rate for all equivalent grades/ job groups. The Commission effectively abolished the pegging of the hardship allowance as a percentage of basic pay.
Administrators in Job grade D5 (Chief Principals) receive the highest house allowance of Sh38,100.
The table below summarizes the monthly hardship allowance rates that are paid to teachers working in hardship areas; per job group:
S/NO
GRADE
TSC SCALE
FORMER JOB GROUP
Hardship Allowance- in Kshs per Month
1
B5
5
G
6,600
2
C1
6
H
8,200
3
C2
7
I
10,900
4
C3
8
J
12,300
5
C4
9
K
14,650
6
C5
10
L
17,100
7
D1
11
M
27,300
8
D2
12
N
27,300
9
D3
13
P
31,500
10
D4
14
Q
31,500
11
D5
15
R
38,100
TSC designated hardship areas.
TSC has designated various areas as hardship. The areas considered as hardship include those that are prone to terrorism, famine and aridity. As of 2012, TSC had about 38 areas approved as hardship.
Currently, teachers teaching in schools located in some parts of the following counties receive monthly hardship allowances.
Hardship Designated Areas.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission is in the process of reviewing the allowances paid to teachers. As such, the following areas (currently designated as hardship) may be affected:
The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, updates the rates of allowances paid to teachers from time to time. After a TSC promotion, the allowances are adjusted accordingly as per the recent Job Group (Grade). All teachers receive different types of allowances from TSC. These allowances are paid to teachers alongside their monthly salaries.
Allowances paid by TSC depend on such factors as the work station, job grade of individual teachers, responsibilities and others like type of learners handled. See table showing all the TSC allowances per job group at the bottom of this post.
Whereas most allowances are paid on a monthly basis, others are one off. Below is a description of the various types of allowances paid by TSC.
Types of allowances paid to teachers
Allowances paid to teachers are classified as either remunerative or reimbursable.
Remunerative allowances are paid with salary while reimbursable allowances are refundable upon application.
medical (No longer paid to teachers; deducted and paid directly to Minet insurance and another is given to the NHIF)
commuter
hardship
Leave allowance
HOUSE ALLOWANCE
House allowance is paid on a monthly basis to all teachers. It is paid on two criteria; Job grade and workstation. Teachers in higher job groups earn a higher house allowance than those in lower cadres. The salaries and remuneration commission, src, has also clustered teachers’ work station into four regions;
Nairobi,
Former Major Municipalities (Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale),
Other former Municipalities; Ruiru, Kikuyu, Kitui, Machakos, Mlolongo, Athi River, Vihiga, Wote, Mumias, Bomet, Limuru, Kericho, Kimilili, Kakamega, Kapsabet, Kiambu, Bungoma, Webuye, Busia, Runyenjes, Migori, Embu, Homa Bay, Lodwar, Meru, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maua, Voi, Siaya, Chuka and Kerugoya/ Kutus
Other areas; this include all regions not mentioned in bullet 1-3 above.
Teachers working in Nairobi draw the largest amount of house allowance whereas those plying their trade in reserves (other areas) receive the lowest amounts. (Details on the table at the bottom end of this article).
TSC pays monthly hardship allowance to teachers working in areas prone to insecurity, high risks and harsh climatic conditions. The commission has designated various areas as hardship. The allowance is paid according to a teacher’s grade. Those in higher job grades earn more than their counterparts in lower cadres. (see table below; bottom end of the article).
COMMUTER ALLOWANCE
Commuter allowance is paid to all teachers on a monthly basis. Payment of this allowance is solely dependent on the teacher’s job group. (See tabulated figures below; scroll to the bottom of the page)
LEAVE ALLOWANCE
Leave allowance is a yearly allowance paid together with the January Salary of the preceding year. It is given as per a teacher’s grade; with those in higher job grades earning more.
This is paid to headteachers,deputy headteachers and senior teachers who are at Job Group K and below.
b. Special duty allowance
This is payable to teachers below job group M appointed to administrative posts by commission and deployed in arid and semi-arid lands.
c. Readers allowance
This is paid to a visually impaired teacher who has engaged a reader whose minimum qualification is not below KCSE D+/KCE Division III. The allowance is paid at a fixed rate determined from time to time by the commission.
Also called facilitation or aid allowance, reader’s allowance is paid at a rate of Sh15,000 per month to the blind teachers and those confined to wheel chairs by virtue of their disability.
d. Interpreters Allowance
This is payable to deaf teachers who engage interpreters while on study leave. Special school allowance -This is paid to teachers specialized in special needs education and who have been deployed to teach in special schools or units.
e. Transfer Allowance
This is payable to teachers who have been transferred from one workstation to another, provided the transfer is initiated by the Commission. It is equivalent to a teacher’s basic pay for one month.
B. Reimbursable Expenses
The commission reimburses the following expenses to teachers
I. Travelling expenses:
The teacher is eligible for reimbursement only in the following circumstances;
Where a teacher’s interdiction has been revoked.
While traveling to attend an interview
Travelling to a station on first posting outside home District
Traveling from duty station outside home District on retirement
Teachers working in hardship areas travelling to and from home during school holidays.The teacher’s home District must be outside the hardship area.
Teachers should apply on prescribed forms attaching supporting documents.
II. Quota per diem:
This is daily subsistence allowance paid to teachers on official assignment. Application must be made at least 14 days before travelling.
TABLE SHOWING ALLOWANCES PAID TO TEACHERS BY TSC.
S/NO
GRADEJOB
GROUP
COMMUTER
LEAVE
HARDSHIP
HOUSE ALLOWANCE educationnewshub.co.ke
LOCAL TRAVEL educationnewshub.co.ke
Nairobi
Major municipalities*
Other municipalities*
others
Cluster 1*
Cluster2*
Cluster 3*
1
B5
4,000
4,000
6,600
6,750
4,500
3,850
3,200
6,300
4,900
4,200
2
C1
4,000
4,000
8,200
10,000
7,500
5,800
4,200
6,300
4,900
4,200
3
C2
5,000
6,000
10,900
16,500
12,800
9,600
7,500
11,200
8,400
7,000
4
C3
6,000
6,000
12,300
28,000
22,000
16,500
13,000
11,200
8,400
7,000
5
C4
8,000
6,000
14,650
28,000
22,000
16,500
13,000
11,200
8,400
7,000
6
C5
8,000
6,000
17,100
35,000
25,500
18,000
20,000
11,200
8,400
7,000
7
D1
12,000
10,000
27,300
45,000
28,000
25,000
20,000
14,000
10,500
8,400
8
D2
13,000
10,000
30,000
50,000
35,000
25,000
20,000
14,000
10,500
8,400
9
D3
14,000
10,000
32,700
50,000
35,000
25,000
20,000
14,000
10,500
8,400
10
D4
15,000
10,000
35,400
50,000
35,000
25,000
20,000
14,000
10,500
8,400
11
D5
16,000
10,000
38,100
50,000
35,000
25,000
20,000
14,000
10,500
8,400
Key:
Former Major Municipalities* include: Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale.
Other former Municipalities* are: Ruiru, Kikuyu, Kitui, Machakos, Mlolongo, Athi River, Vihiga, Wote, Mumias, Bomet, Limuru, Kericho, Kimilili, Kakamega, Kapsabet, Kiambu, Bungoma, Webuye, Busia, Runyenjes, Migori, Embu, Homa Bay, Lodwar, Meru, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maua, Voi, Siaya, Chuka and Kerugoya/ Kutus.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) pays an annual leave allowance to all teachers in its payroll. Leave allowance is a yearly allowance paid together with the January Salary of the preceding year. It is given as per a teacher’s grade; with those in higher job grades earning more.
Teachers at Grade B5 (T- Scale 5); Primary Teacher II, receive a yearly annual leave allowance of Sh4,000. The same amount is paid to teachers in Grade C1 (T- Scale For Secondary Teacher III, Lecturer III and Primary Teacher I).
Sh6,000 is paid as annual leave allowance to all teachers in Grade C2 (T- Scale 7; Secondary Teacher II, SNE Teacher II (Primary Schools), Lecturer II and Senior Teacher II), and Grade C3 {T- Scale 8; Secondary Teacher I, Lecturer I, SNE Teacher I (Primary Schools), SNE Teacher II (Secondary Schools) and Senior Teacher I}.
Teachers in Grade C4 [T- Scale 9; Senior Master IV, Senior Lecturer IV, SNE Senior Teacher (Primary Schools), SNE Teacher I (Secondary Schools) and Deputy Head Teacher II] and those in Grade C5 [T- Scale 10; Deputy Principal IV, Senior Master III, Senior Lecturer III, Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and Curriculum Support Officer II] also receive Sh6,000 as annual leave allowance.
Finnaly all teachers in Grade D1 (T- Scale 11) to Grade D5 (T- Scale 15) receive a yearly leave of Sh10,000.
Teachers working in hardship areas have sued the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, for reviewing the hardship areas and allowances.The aggrieved Tutors have moved to court to stop the government from implementing a plan that would remove hardship allowances from over 129 sub-counties, and which could see civil servants lose up to Sh6 billion in the allowances.
The Kenya Teachers in Hardship and Arid Areas Welfare Association (Kethawa) has raised concerns over the proposed implementation of the 2019 Inter-Agency Technical Committee Report on Hardship Area Reclassification, citing a lack of public consultation, scientific validation, and engagement with key stakeholders during its development.
“The reports affect 44 regions spreading across over 35 counties and over 129 sub-counties in the republic of Kenya which continue to suffer from inaccessibility, poor healthcare, insecurity, and under-resourced schools amongst other challenges. Teachers who are posted in this areas have long been recipients of hardship allowances as compensation for adverse working conditions,” read the petition.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi last week told the National Assembly that the review of the hardship areas will see the government reduce the payment of the allowances from the current Sh25, 984,087,848 to Sh19, 532,995,548.
In a court order dated May 9, 2025, Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa directed that the petition be served upon all respondents, including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Public Service Commission, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Prime Cabinet Secretary, and Attorney General.
The matter is scheduled for inter partes hearing on May 20, 2025.
Through its petition, the association proposes dividing hardship areas into two tiers “extreme” and “moderate” and eliminating some regions from the hardship designation entirely.
A teacher employed by the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, holding a class session under a tree in this unidentified hardship areas.
Kethawa argues that this approach risks cutting vital allowances for teachers and other public workers, potentially causing major interruptions in essential public services.
“The report proposes a controversial reclassification that places certain counties or sub-counties into “Extreme” and “Moderate” hardship categories while excluding others altogether. The report was allegedly developed by a 2019 Inter-Agency Technical Committee allegedly composed of various government bodies. However, there is no evidence of public consultation, scientific validation, or stakeholder engagement in the development of this report before its proposed implementation,” read the petition.
“The proposed implementation of the report, currently under consideration for gazettement, will significantly reduce or eliminate hardship allowances for our teachers in affected areas. The process leading to the report and its proposed implementation violates constitutional principles, statutory requirements, and the rights of public servants and affected communities,” it adds.
The petitioners further claim that if implemented, the report will demotivate public servants, destabilize communities, and deepen marginalization in already underserved regions. The association is seeking orders to suspend the report’s implementation, compel the government to disclose its criteria, and conduct inclusive public hearings before any changes are effected.
“The selective categorization of hardship zones without an objective and rational framework constitutes unequal treatment. The implementation of the report will cause some disadvantaged regions to be removed from hardship status while others remain, without clear criteria, violating the equality clause,” it read.
Kethawa further argues that the proposal undermines the right to fair labour practices and remuneration, particularly for educators and civil servants who serve in remote and underserved areas.
“Removing hardship areas, especially in areas still lacking infrastructure, health, education, and security, infringes the residents’ and workers’ rights to accessible and adequate services. The resulting migration of public servants away from these areas due to lack of hardship support will further deepen inequality and marginalization,” they said.
The association says the potential withdrawal of hardship allowances breaches workers’ legitimate expectations, especially those who committed to challenging postings based on the existing benefits.
“The abrupt actions without notice from the Respondents violates the Right to Fair Administrative Action (Article 47). The lack of transparency, documentation, justification, and opportunity to be heard offends the right to fair administrative action,” read the petition.
The association further invokes international obligations, arguing that the proposed changes contravene several treaties Kenya has ratified.
“The Respondents actions are a violation under the ILO Convention No. 131 on Minimum Wage Fixing. Kenya is bound by international labor standards that demand transparency and worker consultation in wage-related adjustments. This unilateral decision is inconsistent with ILO principles of decent work and social justice,” read the petition.
Among the reliefs sought, the petitioners are asking for a declaration that the tabling and planned implementation of the report be halted until full stakeholder engagement is conducted.
Historically, hardship allowances for teachers have varied significantly. In 2019, the lowest-paid teachers received approximately Sh3,055 per month, while the highest-paid earned up to Sh13,479. Subsequent adjustments saw these figures rise, with some teachers receiving between Sh10,900 and Sh38,100.
However, Kethawa maintains that these amounts remain insufficient given the harsh conditions in which their members operate.
“Take not that failure to incorporate our input in the 2025 to 2029 CBA will be met with all manner of lawful resistance from teachers working in hardship and arid areas as we shall not sit back as discrimination backdating many years back is perpetuated against our members. Your quick and prompt action is hereby called for,” Mr Wangonya Wangenye, Kethawa, National Secretary told the Nation.
Currently, the Civil Service, county governments and State Corporations have 16 areas designated as hardship, the teaching service has 44 while the Judiciary has 21.
The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, pays extra allowances (hardship allowances) to teachers working in areas classified as hardship. While classifying an area to be a hardship area, the locality must meet any of these conditions:
Lack of or unavailability or inaccessibility to food,
Inadequate transport and communication network,
Limited basic social services and amenities,
Persistent harsh climatic conditions like flooding, landslides and drought,
Insecurity and high possibility of security threats.
Hardship allowance is therefore paid in an effort to compensate for the cost of living for teachers working in areas designated as hardship. Like stated above, teachers working in hardship areas face a myriad of challenges; from lack of water, flooding to hostile living conditions characterized by constant spates of attacks.
In December, 2014, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, SRC, reviewed hardship allowance to be paid at a flat rate for all equivalent grades/ job groups. The Commission effectively abolished the pegging of the hardship allowance as a percentage of basic pay.
The table below summarizes the monthly hardship allowance rates that are paid to teachers working in hardship areas; per job group:
S/NO
GRADE
TSC SCALE
FORMER JOB GROUP
Hardship Allowance- in Kshs per Month
1
B5
5
G
6,600
2
C1
6
H
8,200
3
C2
7
I
10,900
4
C3
8
J
12,300
5
C4
9
K
14,650
6
C5
10
L
17,100
7
D1
11
M
27,300
8
D2
12
N
27,300
9
D3
13
P
31,500
10
D4
14
Q
31,500
11
D5
15
R
38,100
TSC designated hardship areas.
TSC has designated various areas as hardship. The areas considered as hardship include those that are prone to terrorism, famine and aridity. As of 2012, TSC had about 38 areas approved as hardship.
Currently, teachers teaching in schools located in some parts of the following counties receive monthly hardship allowances.
S/NO.
AREA/ COUNTY
1
Garissa County
2
Isiolo County
3
Kilifi County
4
Kwale County
5
Lamu County
6
Mandera County
7
Marsabit County
8
Narok County
9
Samburu County
10
Taita Taveta County
11
Tana River County
12
Turkana
13
Wajir County
14
West Pokot County
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