Kuppet Memo demanding for immediate gazettment of new TSC hardship areas; as recommended by Parliament.

Kuppet Memo demanding for immediate gazettment of new TSC hardship areas as; recommended by Parliament.

SERVICE JUSTICE INTEGRIT
KUPPET- KENYA UNION OF POST PRIMARY TEACHERS
KUPPET POSITION ON PROPOSED DEGAZETTMENT OF HARDSHIP AREAS

1. KUPPET national and branch leaders today declared the union’s total opposition to the reduction of hardship zones under the Teachers Service Commission. The union will fight for the retention of all the 44 hardship areas recognised under the TSC.

2. Instead of reducing the number of hardship zones, we demand the immediate gazettment of new hardship areas as recommended by Parliament. The new hardship areas should include: Chepalungu, Chonyi, Nyatike West, Nyatike North, Nyatike South, Rachuonyo North, Mwala, Kalama, Samia, Teso North, Lunga Lunga, Narok South and Narok North Sub-Counties in Bomet, Kilifi, Migori, Machakos, Busia, Kwale and Narok counties respectively.

3. The process of categorising hardship areas is set out in law, and it relies on economic data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. The data includes statistical figures on access to food, water, transport and communication, social services, climate and terrain, security and poverty index.

4. Since Parliament plays a legal role in the creation of hardship areas, KUPPET rejects the use of executive fiat, gazette notices or policy regulations that usurp the power of Parliament. The purported need to save Sh6 billion out of the Sh25 billion on annual hardship allowances can never be achieved outside of the law of the land.

5. The union rejects the ghost report of the so-called Inter-Agency Technical committee under the Ministry of Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management that re-categorised hardship areas.

More than six years since the purported report was supposedly compiled, it has not been gazetted nor made public. We seriously doubt that the report indeed exists.

6. The current hardship allowances paid to teachers are secured through Legal Notices No 534 of 1998, No 196 of 2015 and collective bargaining agreements negotiated with the TSC. A Cabinet Secretary cannot take away a benefit that he did not give in the first place.

7. If the government genuinely believes that some hardship
allowances are undeserved, we urge the Ministry of Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management to openly tell the country which areas are those. Kenyans are beset by so many challenges including insecurity, poor health services and food insecurity. It is an insult to claim that some areas of the country have developed overnight.

SIGNED: 4th June, 2025

1. M.T. Akelo Misori, Secretary General, NAIROBI 4 JUN 2025
2. Charles Ng’eno, Executive Secretary, Narok
3. Robert Miano, Executive Secretary, Laikipia
4. Francis Wanjohi, Executive Secretary, Nyeri
5. Justus Kimeu, Executive Secretary, Makueni
6. Moffats Okisai, Executive Secretary, Busia
7. Leonard Oronje, Executive Secretary, Kwale
8. Kioko Mutia, Executive Secretary, Kitui

Kuppet Memo demanding for immediate gazettment of new TSC hardship areas as; recommended by Parliament.

SERVICE JUSTICE INTEGRIT
KUPPET- KENYA UNION OF POST PRIMARY TEACHERS
KUPPET POSITION ON PROPOSED DEGAZETTMENT OF HARDSHIP AREAS

1. KUPPET national and branch leaders today declared the union’s total opposition to the reduction of hardship zones under the Teachers Service Commission. The union will fight for the retention of all the 44 hardship areas recognised under the TSC.

2. Instead of reducing the number of hardship zones, we demand the immediate gazettment of new hardship areas as recommended by Parliament. The new hardship areas should include: Chepalungu, Chonyi, Nyatike West, Nyatike North, Nyatike South, Rachuonyo North, Mwala, Kalama, Samia, Teso North, Lunga Lunga, Narok South and Narok North Sub-Counties in Bomet, Kilifi, Migori, Machakos, Busia, Kwale and Narok counties respectively.

3. The process of categorising hardship areas is set out in law, and it relies on economic data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. The data includes statistical figures on access to food, water, transport and communication, social services, climate and terrain, security and poverty index.

4. Since Parliament plays a legal role in the creation of hardship areas, KUPPET rejects the use of executive fiat, gazette notices or policy regulations that usurp the power of Parliament. The purported need to save Sh6 billion out of the Sh25 billion on annual hardship allowances can never be achieved outside of the law of the land.

5. The union rejects the ghost report of the so-called Inter-Agency Technical committee under the Ministry of Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management that re-categorised hardship areas.

More than six years since the purported report was supposedly compiled, it has not been gazetted nor made public. We seriously doubt that the report indeed exists.

6. The current hardship allowances paid to teachers are secured through Legal Notices No 534 of 1998, No 196 of 2015 and collective bargaining agreements negotiated with the TSC. A Cabinet Secretary cannot take away a benefit that he did not give in the first place.

7. If the government genuinely believes that some hardship
allowances are undeserved, we urge the Ministry of Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management to openly tell the country which areas are those. Kenyans are beset by so many challenges including insecurity, poor health services and food insecurity. It is an insult to claim that some areas of the country have developed overnight.

SIGNED: 4th June, 2025

1. M.T. Akelo Misori, Secretary General, NAIROBI 4 JUN 2025
2. Charles Ng’eno, Executive Secretary, Narok
3. Robert Miano, Executive Secretary, Laikipia
4. Francis Wanjohi, Executive Secretary, Nyeri
5. Justus Kimeu, Executive Secretary, Makueni
6. Moffats Okisai, Executive Secretary, Busia
7. Leonard Oronje, Executive Secretary, Kwale
8. Kioko Mutia, Executive Secretary, Kitui