KUPPET Demands Per Diem Allowances for Teachers in New TSC Act.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is mounting pressure on Parliament to amend the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Act, aiming to secure various allowances for educators through legislative means.
The union believes this would strengthen job motivation and safeguard teachers’ welfare by eliminating the discretionary nature of the current compensation structure.
KUPPET presented its case to the National Assembly’s Education Committee on Thursday, seeking the legal inclusion of several allowances.
The proposals include a subsistence allowance (per diem) for teachers undertaking official duties away from their regular stations, a postgraduate allowance for educators holding Master’s or PhD degrees, and a risk allowance for science teachers handling hazardous laboratory substances.
During the session, the Teachers Service Commission resisted the proposals, stating that existing regulatory frameworks already account for such allowances. The Commission expressed concern that enshrining these provisions into law would restrict its administrative flexibility and impose financial constraints on its budget.
Despite this opposition, KUPPET maintained that codifying allowances in legislation would provide teachers with enforceable rights, reducing frequent disputes regarding compensation. The union emphasized that teachers deserve fair and predictable remuneration, anchored in law rather than left to the employer’s discretion.
Among the detailed recommendations was the introduction of a risk allowance specifically for science teachers, whom the union noted are exposed to dangerous chemicals in laboratories. KUPPET warned that ignoring this exposure compromises the health and safety of teachers in such environments.
The union further proposed a postgraduate allowance to recognize teachers who invest in furthering their education. According to KUPPET, such a move would promote lifelong learning and reward academic achievement within the profession.
In addition, the union called for automatic acting allowances for teachers temporarily tasked with administrative roles without official appointments. They also demanded the mandatory disbursement of transfer allowances within one month of deployment, asserting that delays undermine teachers’ stability and morale.
The push for reforms coincides with parliamentary deliberations on a new bill sponsored by Mandera South MP Haro Abdul Ebrahim, which seeks to legislate all teacher allowances comprehensively. The bill has revived conversations around compensation fairness in the education sector.
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KUPPET chairman Omboko Milemba affirmed that anchoring allowances in law would force the Commission to comply with established compensation structures. He expressed frustration that teachers often wait indefinitely for rightful allowances, stating that legislative intervention is now necessary.
While addressing the committee, Milemba said many teachers have taken on acting responsibilities for years without compensation and are treated unfairly for pursuing higher academic qualifications. Another union official pointed out that public service norms already support per diem for government employees, yet teachers are left out, which they described as discriminatory.
KUPPET Demands Per Diem Allowances for Teachers in New TSC Act.