The Acting CEO of the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC), Evaleen Mitei, has promised to take a fresh look at how hardship allowances are allocated to teachers across the country, amid growing concerns over glaring inconsistencies.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee on Thursday, June 19, Mitei faced tough questions from Members of Parliament who challenged the logic behind teachers in urban centers like Nairobi receiving higher hardship allowances than their counterparts in far-flung, underserved regions.
Lawmakers pressed for clarity on how hardship areas are classified, and why teachers in rural areas many of whom operate without basic infrastructure like electricity, roads, and clean water are receiving less compensation for their working conditions than some in the capital.
Siaya Woman Representative Christine Ombaka was particularly vocal, questioning the criteria used to define hardship. “It’s absurd that a teacher in Nairobi could receive more hardship allowance than one in a village where there’s no access to running water or even decent classrooms,” she remarked. “We need a real, practical definition of what hardship looks like.”
In response, Mitei sought to clarify the Commission’s role in the process. She explained that TSC does not unilaterally set the allowances but works through a structured consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the National Treasury. “Our job is to present proposals during collective bargaining agreements. The SRC and Treasury are the ones who finalize the classification and give the binding advisory,” Mitei explained.
Nonetheless, she acknowledged the current disparities and promised to raise the issue with the relevant state agencies. “We recognize the imbalance, and we plan to engage the Public Service Commission on both hardship and municipality allowances,” she assured the committee.
But hardship pay wasn’t the only issue on the table. MPs also grilled Mitei on the unequal distribution of teachers across the country a long-standing problem that leaves some schools severely understaffed, while others have more teachers than needed.
Teso South MP Mary Emaase challenged the Commission to address the imbalance and present a concrete plan to deploy teachers more evenly. “We have schools bursting at the seams with learners but not enough teachers, and yet others are overstaffed. We need data-driven staffing decisions, and Parliament needs to budget accordingly,” she said.
As pressure mounts on the TSC to implement fairer systems in both compensation and staffing, Mitei’s appearance before the committee signals a willingness to engage. But with teachers in hardship zones growing increasingly frustrated, lawmakers are pushing for faster reforms to ensure equity in both pay and personnel.
