Kenya National Union of Teachers members match past the Presidential dais during the 60th Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on May 1, 2025.
Classification as a hardship area would entitle teachers to a hardship allowance of 30 percent of their basic salary.
Nairobi City County remains the most sought-after destination for teachers seeking transfers from regions they consider remote and lacking essential social amenities.
However, amid a surging cost of living and growing insecurity in the capital, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Nairobi branch is pushing for the city to be declared a hardship zone. Such a designation would entitle teachers to a hardship allowance of 30 per cent of their basic salary.
The union has petitioned Parliament to review Nairobi’s current status, arguing that deteriorating living conditions, overstretched social services and rising expenses now mirror those in areas already officially classified as hardship zones.
The appeal comes as the government plans to establish a multi-agency task force to reassess hardship zones and the criteria used to award hardship allowances. “The Knut Nairobi branch is appealing to the National Assembly, through the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security, to recommend to relevant government authorities a review of the existing hardship areas to reflect the true reality faced by teachers in Nairobi County,” the petition states.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku addresses the faithful during a church service to mark the 35th Embu ACK Diocesan Anniversary at St. Mark’s College, Kigari, Embu County, on July 6, 2025.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku told the Senate in November last year that the government, through the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, would set up a multi-agency task force to review the classification of hardship areas nationwide. Mr Ruku said the review would promote fairness and standardisation in the designation of hardship areas across the public sector, ensuring that public officers working in genuinely difficult environments are treated equitably.
In Kenya, hardship areas are locations officially recognised by the government as having challenging living and working conditions that hinder public servants from performing their duties without additional support.
An area may be designated a hardship zone if it lacks basic services such as clean water and electricity, experiences high levels of insecurity, has harsh climatic or terrain conditions, suffers from poor infrastructure, or where residents struggle to access or afford basic food and essential supplies.
Nairobi City County has 211 public primary schools and 107 public secondary schools. It also has 193 public junior schools domiciled within primary schools.
The Knut Nairobi branch says teachers in the capital are increasingly grappling with emerging challenges, including severe traffic congestion, periodic political unrest, widespread drug and substance abuse, overcrowded settlements and the rapid expansion of informal slums. If the proposal is approved, teachers in Nairobi would qualify for enhanced hardship benefits, potentially surpassing those received by their counterparts in cities such as Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret.
Knut Secretary-General Collins Oyuu.
Knut Nairobi Branch Executive Secretary Mugwe Macharia said the capital was deliberately excluded when hardship zones were initially designated, despite mounting socio-economic pressures on educators working in the city.
On transport and communication, the union argues that access to some schools remains difficult. Teachers in institutions such as Chereta Primary School, Manyatta Primary School, Mutuini Primary School and Athi Primary School are often forced to walk long distances due to poor transport links.
Knut also notes that short distances within the city attract higher public transport fares compared with similar or longer distances in areas where teachers already receive a hardship allowance.
“For example, a teacher commuting from Makina in Kibera to the Central Business District spends Sh70 for a distance of just three kilometres. You can imagine the total monthly cost given current salary levels,” Mr Macharia said.
The union further says teachers, particularly those working in informal settlements, face heightened security risks, including muggings, pickpocketing, violent robberies and, in some cases, sexual assault.
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