Teachers across the country are set to experience delays in receiving their April salaries after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was forced to recall its payroll due to a court order involving deductions for the Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA).
The issue arose after the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi issued a stay order on 18th April 2026. The ruling directed TSC to continue making monthly deductions of Ksh 200 from teachers who are members of KEWOTA, pending the outcome of the case.
This means TSC must maintain the current check-off system, which had earlier been suspended by the Commission following allegations reported in the media regarding possible misuse of funds within the association.
TSC had announced the suspension of KEWOTA deductions through a circular dated 15th April, but the union immediately went to court to challenge the decision, arguing that it violated labour laws.
Following the court ruling, TSC closed its April payroll on 16th April but was later forced to reopen it to make the required adjustments. As a result, salary processing has been delayed, and teachers are now expected to receive their pay later than usual.
A number of teachers may also miss their April salaries entirely due to ongoing adjustments in the payroll system. Those most affected include intern teachers, replacement teachers, and some newly promoted teachers who are still being fully integrated into the payroll.
TSC had recently recruited 24,000 junior school intern teachers in January 2026, alongside 9,159 replacement teachers who filled vacancies left by officers who exited the service in 2025. However, not all of them have been fully captured in the payroll system.
The Commission has also been implementing promotions for 21,383 teachers, with some already posted to new stations. However, salary adjustments for promoted teachers under the Career Progression Guidelines are expected to take longer before they reflect in pay.
Some teachers have also reported missing payments for previous months, with claims that January and February arrears are still pending for a section of newly recruited staff.
TSC recently received a supplementary budget allocation of Ksh 24.2 billion to help address salary shortfalls and statutory deductions, including health contributions.
The government had earlier increased the national budget through the Supplementary Appropriations Bill, 2026, raising total expenditure by Ksh 393 billion. Part of this funding was meant to stabilise key sectors, including education.
Despite these efforts, challenges in payroll management continue to affect timely salary disbursement for some teachers.
TSC has assured that the payroll will be normalised once all court directives and system updates are completed.
