KUPPET’s Latest Memo With Ultimatum Demanding Immediate Gazettment Of New TSC Hardship Areas As Recommended By Parliament

admin | June 9, 2025 | TSC NEWS | No Comments

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KUPPET’s Latest Memo To TSC Demanding Gazettment Of New Hardship Areas Or Face Teacher Strike.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has raised serious concerns regarding the government’s delay in updating the list of hardship areas for teachers across the country. In a strongly worded memorandum released on June 4, 2025, the union urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Public Service to urgently gazette additional hardship zones as recommended by the Kenyan Parliament.

Rather than reduce the current number of hardship-designated areas, KUPPET insists the government must recognize and include more regions that continue to face severe social, economic, and infrastructural challenges that justify hardship allowances for teachers.

KUPPET Rejects Proposed Reduction of Hardship Areas

KUPPET’s national and regional officials have expressed firm opposition to any proposals aimed at reducing the current list of 44 hardship zones recognized by the Teachers Service Commission. According to the union, attempts to eliminate some of these zones are not only unlawful but deeply insensitive to the realities on the ground.

Teachers deployed in these areas often operate under extremely difficult conditions, including poor infrastructure, food insecurity, high poverty levels, lack of reliable healthcare, and insecurity. The union argues that cutting off their hardship allowance is equivalent to undermining their service and commitment.

New Counties Proposed for Hardship Recognition

In the latest KUPPET memo, the union outlines a list of sub-counties that deserve immediate classification as hardship areas based on ongoing recommendations by the National Assembly. These include:

Chepalungu (Bomet County)

Chonyi (Kilifi County)

Nyatike West, Nyatike North, Nyatike South (Migori County)

Rachuonyo North (Homa Bay County)

Mwala, Kalama (Machakos County)

Samia, Teso North (Busia County)

Lunga Lunga (Kwale County)

Narok South, Narok North (Narok County)

These regions continue to experience poor access to essential services, security concerns, and high cost of living, thereby qualifying for inclusion under the TSC hardship areas policy.

Data-Driven Hardship Categorization: What the Law Says

KUPPET emphasizes that hardship area classification should be guided strictly by law and verifiable data. As outlined by the Kenyan legal framework, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) provides critical data used in hardship classification. This includes metrics on access to basic services (like water and food), poverty indices, transport and communication accessibility, terrain difficulty, and insecurity levels.

By disregarding this framework and proposing de-gazettement without parliamentary approval, KUPPET warns the TSC and relevant ministries are overstepping their mandates.

Parliament’s Role Cannot Be Undermined

One of the core points in the KUPPET memo is the rejection of any executive attempt to revise hardship areas without parliamentary involvement. The union argues that Kenya’s constitution clearly vests this responsibility in Parliament, not in ministry officials issuing executive orders or gazette notices without due process.

The union views recent efforts to reduce hardship allowances for budgetary savings—reportedly to save Ksh 6 billion out of the annual Ksh 25 billion allocation—as unconstitutional and lacking public transparency.

Skepticism Over the Inter-Agency Committee Report

Another focal point of KUPPET’s protest is the mysterious Inter-Agency Technical Committee report, which the Ministry of Public Service allegedly used to re-categorize hardship areas. According to the union, the report has never been made public or officially gazetted, despite being mentioned for over six years.

KUPPET officials question the existence and credibility of this report, stating that any reclassification of hardship areas based on such a document is questionable at best and illegal at worst.

Existing Hardship Allowances Are Protected by Law

Teachers currently receive hardship allowances based on legal instruments and formal agreements. These include Legal Notice No. 534 of 1998, Legal Notice No. 196 of 2015, and binding collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) signed with the TSC. According to KUPPET, no Cabinet Secretary or public officer has the power to unilaterally reverse or interfere with these lawful provisions.

Government Urged to Reveal Criteria for Revoking Hardship Areas

If the Ministry of Public Service truly believes that some regions no longer qualify for hardship status, KUPPET challenges them to publicly name these areas and provide data to back up the claims. The union accuses the government of ignoring the lived realities of teachers, especially in counties where development has stagnated and insecurity remains a daily concern.

In a country still grappling with deep regional inequalities, such unilateral decisions not only demoralize teachers but also risk worsening educational outcomes in underserved communities.

KUPPET’s Commitment to Justice for Teachers

In conclusion, KUPPET has vowed to resist any attempts to reduce hardship allowances and will continue advocating for the inclusion of all deserving regions in the hardship classification. The union sees the current debate as a test of whether the government respects the law and the contributions of teachers deployed in remote, marginalized, and insecure areas.

A government that values education must demonstrate it through action—not rhetoric—by protecting the welfare of those tasked with delivering learning in the harshest of conditions.

Signatories to the KUPPET Memo

The memorandum was signed by the union’s top officials, including:

M.T. Akelo Misori – Secretary General

Charles Ng’eno – Executive Secretary, Narok

Robert Miano – Executive Secretary, Laikipia

Francis Wanjohi – Executive Secretary, Nyeri

Justus Kimeu – Executive Secretary, Makueni

Moffats Okisai – Executive Secretary, Busia

Leonard Oronje – Executive Secretary, Kwale

Kioko Mutia – Executive Secretary, Kitui

Their collective voice underscores the urgency and seriousness of this matter. KUPPET’s position is clear: no teacher should be denied fair compensation for working in hardship zones, and the list of such areas must reflect Kenya’s current realities, not outdated or manipulated records.