Inside Ruto’s bag of goodies aimed at appeasing frustrated Kenyan teachers
The meeting at State House, Nairobi, brought together more than 10,000 teachers, union leaders and school heads’ associations, who pressed the government to act on urgent issues crippling schools and demoralising educators.
President William Ruto on Saturday unveiled a suite of commitments aimed at addressing teachers’ long-standing grievances, from stalled promotions and underfunded schools to medical cover and housing, in a bid to calm rising frustrations within the sector.
The meeting at State House, Nairobi, brought together more than 10,000 teachers, union leaders and school heads’ associations, who pressed the government to act on urgent issues crippling schools and demoralising educators.
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Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) chairperson Fuad Ali set the tone, demanding an immediate increase in Free Primary Education (FPE) capitation from Sh1,420 per pupil to Sh2,300.
“We propose a target of Sh2,300. This increase is necessary to ensure that schools can adequately provide for the basic needs of learners, including teaching and learning materials, infrastructure maintenance and nutritional support where required,” Fuad Ali said.
He also called for better terms for head teachers, urging their employee level be raised to at least Job Group D1 to match their responsibilities.
Secondary school leaders echoed the call. Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman Willie Kuria highlighted the impact of outdated capitation and the rising cost of education.
“Capitation should be realistic and in touch with the economic climate. Since 2017, schools have not received the full amount allocated in government budgets. On paper, allocations look promising, but in reality, what reaches schools is far less,” he said.
KESSHA also flagged the growing debt burden in schools, which forces them to buy goods on credit and sometimes halts essential services.
“Schools are drowning in debt. We owe food suppliers, textbook distributors, and utility companies. We are appealing to the government to urgently intervene and offset these debts,” Kuria said.
The association and teachers’ unions further complained about career stagnation, with nearly 500,000 teachers in the same job groups for more than five years. The Career Progression Guidelines, they argued, disadvantage older recruits who may retire before advancing.
“It is unfair to employ a teacher in their forties or fifties and then tell them that by the time they qualify for higher grades, they will already be at retirement age,” Kuria said.
Teachers during a meeting at State House, Nairobi, on September 14, 2025. (Photo: PCS)
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu added that teachers managing junior secondary schools in primary institutions remain unrecognised and underpaid, while KUPPET highlighted rigid promotion rules that often force late-career relocations.
In response, President Ruto offered a raft of reforms. He pledged to double annual promotion allocations from Sh1 billion to Sh2 billion, fast-tracking 50,000 promotions per year. The Career Progression Guidelines will be reviewed immediately.
He also announced a “pass-out, pass-in” recruitment model to prioritise long-waiting graduates, especially those above 45 years and primary-trained teachers. Additionally, 24,000 new teachers will be recruited in January 2026, bringing total hires over three years to 100,000.
Ruto also pledged that primary school capitation will rise to the recommended Sh2,238 in two tranches, and secondary schools’ allocations will be restored from Sh17,000 to Sh22,244. The Treasury and Ministry of Education were directed to align their disbursement cycles with the school calendar.
On medical cover, Ruto acknowledged disparities with civil servants.
“This must be corrected immediately,” he said.
The meeting further saw teachers’ unions and the Affordable Housing Board signing a landmark agreement, guaranteeing educators 20 per cent of all units in the Affordable Housing Programme.
“This agreement guarantees that 20 per cent of all affordable housing units will be allocated to teachers, a step towards ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to shaping our nation’s future have access to decent homes,” President Ruto said.
The Head of State also agreed on the need to reduce the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) period from four years. He asked union heads to deliberate and decide whether to cut it down to three years or two years.
He emphasised that the review aims to make agreements more responsive to teachers’ needs and ensure timely adjustments in pay and allowances.
Meanwhile, the president said retiring teachers will now access their benefits within 10 days, with a long-term goal of same-day payments to provide financial security.
Special needs teachers will also receive a one-job grade promotion, reflecting their additional responsibilities and expertise. Ruto announced that the Sh20,000 allowance for special needs guides will also be reviewed to better match their workload.
To support the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Ruto directed that resource centres be established in every sub-county, not just at the county level. Their rollout will involve Members of Parliament through Constituency Development Fund (CDF) contributions, a move designed to improve access to teaching materials, particularly in rural areas.
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