List of Zones KUPPET Wants Added As Hardship Areas in CBA With TSC.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has rejected the government’s plan to reduce the number of hardship areas, instead demanding immediate expansion of the existing 44 hardship zones under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
This follows comments by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in Parliament where he announced the government’s intention to implement a 2019 report that recommends rationalisation of hardship zones across the public service. The report seeks to reduce annual hardship allowance payments from KES 25 billion to KES 19 billion, resulting in annual savings of KES 6 billion.
At a press briefing on Thursday, KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori termed the proposed reclassification as “ill-informed” and accused the Executive of trying to bypass legal procedures for determining hardship areas. “KUPPET rejects the executive fiat, gazette notices or policy regulations that usurp the power of Parliament,” Misori said. He noted that the categorisation of hardship zones is a legislative matter governed by law and Parliament has a role to play.
Misori said the hardship allowance received by teachers (30% of their basic salary) is a product of advocacy not administrative designation. He wants the gazettement of new hardship areas as recommended by Parliament.
The areas KUPPET wants designated as new hardship zones are:
- Chepalungu Sub-County in Bomet County
- Chonyi Sub-County in Kilifi County
- Nyatike West and Nyatike North Sub-Counties in Migori County
- Rachuonyo North Sub-County in Homa Bay County
- Mwala and Kalama Sub-Counties in Machakos County
KUPPET cited worsening living conditions in these areas due to rising insecurity, human-wildlife conflict and historical marginalisation.
Currently hardship areas vary across government sectors:
- Civil service, county governments and state corporations have 16 hardship areas.
- Judiciary Service has 21 hardship areas.
- Teachers Service Commission has 44 hardship areas.
Mudavadi said the proposed reclassification is based on field assessments and data analysis by an Inter-Agency Technical Committee.
The committee used data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) including food and water availability, access to transport and communication services, quality of social services, climate and terrain conditions, security and poverty indices.
The report was drafted in 2019 but has not been implemented. Mudavadi said the report has been submitted to the Head of Public Service for gazettement pending Cabinet approval.
KUPPET has rejected the findings of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee calling it a “ghost report”. The Union says any rationalisation of hardship areas must be informed by ground realities and legal frameworks not cost saving imperatives.
List of Zones KUPPET Wants Added As Hardship Areas in CBA With TSC.
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