Teachers and civil servants are set to lose Sh6 billion in hardship allowances following a review of designated hardship areas. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi explained that the criteria for identifying these areas are inconsistent; for example, the civil service relies on former district boundaries, while the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) uses educational zones for classification.
The government plans to reduce hardship allowances for thousands of civil servants and teachers after finally approving a long-awaited review of regions classified as hardship areas. Mudavadi informed the National Assembly that these changes will result in annual savings of Sh6 billion for the government.
He stated, “I would like to inform the House that implementing the Inter-Agency Technical Committee report will decrease the financial burden of hardship allowances from Sh25 billion to Sh19 billion per year, yielding a Sh6 billion saving for the government.”
This report, completed in 2019, had been pending for years and assessed how hardship areas are identified and how allowances are distributed to government employees across various sectors. Mudavadi noted that the committee conducted extensive consultations and discovered that some areas previously classified as hardship no longer meet the criteria.
The review indicated that several locations designated as hardship areas have experienced significant social and economic development since the 2013 transition to a devolved governance system, resulting in improved access to water, healthcare, transportation, and education services.
The findings have been submitted to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, which is expected to establish new allowance rates. The updated list has also been forwarded to the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service to initiate the gazettement process.
Additionally, the report highlighted that not all public servants in hardship regions receive the allowance due to ambiguous policy guidelines. In some instances, only specific parts of a county or sub-county qualify, leaving others in the same area without support.
Mudavadi remarked on the lack of consistency in the classification of hardship areas, noting that the civil service recognizes 16 hardship areas, while the TSC identifies 44 and the Judiciary lists 21. This discrepancy has led to confusion and complaints among public servants.
Members of Parliament have raised concerns about the issue, with many deeming the current classifications to be unjust.
Nyando MP Jared Okelo asked a question on the issue last month, prompting calls for a proper review to reflect current realities.
Hardship allowances were introduced in 1969 to support officers working in remote and underdeveloped areas. These are regions that lack basic services like food, water, transport, communication, and health.
Mudavadi said the aim is to apply one clear policy across all arms of the public service, so the allowance can be shared fairly based on clear and current standards.
“The proposed harmonisation of the designated hardship areas in the public service” will guide this process, he said.
The move is expected to affect workers who have long relied on the hardship allowance, as some may lose the benefit once the revised regions are made public.