It is good news for teachers whose employment was terminated by the employer. The teachers who left employment through resignation or dismissal after April 6, 2018, will, for the first time, be able to claim their terminal dues, according to a new directive from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
In a circular, acting secretary and CEO of the commission, Evaleen Mitei, advised the affected teachers and their families to visit the nearest county or sub-county TSC office for instructions on how to file their applications.
The change stems from the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in July with teachers’ unions.
Under the new deal, resignation or dismissal no longer leads to total loss of benefits, as those leaving service will now qualify for gratuity and pension. Previously, teachers who exited under such circumstances forfeited these benefits entirely.
TSC has not given a figure on how many teachers are set to benefit, but the commission regularly makes public the names of those removed from its register over disciplinary issues. Data published on its website shows that 470 teachers have been struck off in the last five years.
Statistics from a TSC survey carried out between March and July 2022 revealed that an average of 44 teachers exit the service daily through retirement, death, or resignation.
Additional data from the commission shows that between June 2022 and January 2023, a total of 8,018 teachers left the profession, translating to about 1,336 per month.
“The affected teachers or their beneficiaries are required to submit the documents through their respective sub-county directors. The sub-county directors will verify the documents to ascertain accuracy and completeness before forwarding them to the county directors for onward submission to the TSC head office,” the circular noted.
The circular outlines a detailed list of documents required for processing benefit claims. These include identification records, bank details, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN certificates, and, in the case of deceased teachers, death certificates to be submitted by their beneficiaries.
The Commission emphasised that all submissions must be verified at the sub-county level before being forwarded to county offices and ultimately to the head office for processing.
This directive brings relief to thousands of former teachers and their families who were previously denied terminal benefits after leaving service through resignation or dismissal.
TSC says the new policy aligns with the terms negotiated in the 2025–2029 CBA and ensures fair treatment for all teachers.
