Teachers threaten strike over funds and CBA
Education
By
Mike Kihaki
| Jul 13, 2025
Learning in public schools could grind to a halt amid an escalating standoff between the government, the teachers’ employer, and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) over delayed capitation funds and stalled salary negotiations.
Kuppet has issued a one-week ultimatum to the government to release the final tranche of capitation funds or face nationwide school closures.
Speaking during the union’s National Governing Council meeting in Nairobi on Friday, Kuppet Secretary-General Akelo Misori painted a grim picture of the state of public education, warning that unless the government acts swiftly, teachers will have no option but to send learners home.
“With the current economic hardships, most parents have not paid school fees. If nothing is done soon, it will be impossible to keep these schools running. The only viable option left is to send students home,” he said.
“Principals are really struggling to keep learners in school. They have waited for the government to release capitation funds, but it is taking ages,” Misori lamented.
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At Malava Boys High School, for instance, principal Elphas Luvaso reported that parents owe the school Sh18.4 million in fee arrears.
“The current Form Four class owes us Sh7 million, Form Threes Sh5 million, and Form Twos have arrears totalling Sh5.6 million,” he told Sunday Standard.
He added that principals are under intense pressure to run schools without resources, while trying to retain learners, pay support staff, and sustain co-curricular activities.
In May, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced the disbursement of Sh22 billion in capitation funds to learners in basic education institutions for the second term.
The funds were to be distributed as follows: Sh11.6 billion for secondary schools, Sh8.9 billion for Free Day Junior School Education, Sh1.3 billion for Free Primary Education, and Sh118.4 million for Special Needs Education.
However, according to Misori, schools have received only Sh4,000 per student out of the expected Sh17,795.20 for the year—less than 25 per cent of the capitation due.
In addition to the financial strain, Kuppet is embroiled in a protracted dispute with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over delayed negotiations for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The union is demanding a 50 per cent salary increase for teachers in higher job groups, and a 100 per cent raise for those in lower grades.
“We are ready to engage constructively with the Commission, but we expect these talks to go beyond formality. Teachers are demanding a meaningful package that reflects the realities of the current economy,” said Misori.
He stressed that the last CBA, signed in 2021, focused only on non-monetary benefits due to Covid-19 budget constraints, and warned that teachers would not accept a repeat of that arrangement.
The union is also pushing for harmonised house allowances with a 20 per cent increase across all cadres, and significant rises in commuter allowances—200 per cent for higher grades and 250 per cent for lower ones.
Following a consultative meeting held between Kuppet and the TSC on July 2, 2025, the TSC acknowledged receipt of Kuppet’s memorandum, originally submitted in October 2024.
The Commission said it is in advanced consultations with key government bodies, including the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and pledged to issue a counter-proposal to Kuppet by July 20 2025.