TSC Special Needs Allowance: What SNE Teachers Earn and What Ruto’s Pledge Could Change
Introduction
Teaching learners with visual impairments, hearing loss, intellectual disabilities or severe physical challenges is not the same as running a regular classroom.
It demands specialised training, extra patience, adapted materials and long hours of individual attention. Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission (TSC) recognises this in how it pays Special Needs Education (SNE) teachers.
On top of the basic salary and the allowances every teacher earns, SNE teachers in special schools and units receive a Special School Allowance that rises with job group.
This article explains how that pay works: the grades SNE teachers serve under, the allowances they qualify for, the separate support for teachers who live with disabilities, the union that represents them, and what the President’s recent pledge could mean.
Where SNE Teachers Sit in the Grading Structure
SNE teachers are hired and deployed to special schools and to special units attached to mainstream schools. Their job titles map onto TSC job groups (T-Scales) as follows:
- C2 (T-Scale 7): SNE Teacher II (Primary)
- C3 (T-Scale 8): SNE Teacher I (Primary); SNE Teacher II (Secondary)
- C4 (T-Scale 9): SNE Senior Teacher (Primary); SNE Teacher I (Secondary)
Teachers move into C5, D1, D2 and D3 as they are promoted to roles such as head teacher, deputy principal or principal.
The Special School Allowance follows them through these groups while they remain in a special school or unit.
The Basic Salary
Each grade has a salary scale with several incremental “salary points” that a teacher moves through over a career. Under the scales effective 1 July 2026:
| Job Group | T-Scale | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 7 | Ksh 39,070 | Ksh 49,100 (point 6) |
| C3 | 8 | Ksh 46,699 | Ksh 60,871 (point 6) |
| C4 | 9 | Ksh 57,667 | Ksh 72,988 (point 6) |
| C5 | 10 | Ksh 68,948 | Ksh 82,160 (point 7) |
| D1 | 11 | Ksh 80,500 | Ksh 97,827 (point 8) |
| D2 | 12 | Ksh 93,883 | Ksh 114,322 (point 7) |
| D3 | 13 | Ksh 107,634 | Ksh 131,405 (point 7) |
Every teacher in a given grade shares this basic salary. The allowances are where the SNE teacher’s pay pulls ahead.
The Special School Allowance
This monthly payment compensates teachers for the added responsibilities of teaching learners with disabilities. Under TSC guidelines it is paid by job group:
| Job Group | Monthly allowance |
|---|---|
| C2 | Ksh 10,000 |
| C3 | Ksh 12,000 |
| C4 | Ksh 15,000 |
| C5 | Ksh 15,000 |
| D1 | Ksh 20,000 |
| D2 | Ksh 20,000 |
| D3 | Ksh 20,000 |
The allowance climbs from Ksh 10,000 at C2 to Ksh 20,000 at D1, then stays flat through D2 and D3. At the first salary point it equals roughly a quarter of basic pay: about 26% at C2, C3 and C4, and about 25% at D1. In practice, it adds around a quarter to an SNE teacher’s starting pay in each grade.
Other Allowances SNE Teachers Receive
SNE teachers also qualify for the allowances available to all teachers.
House Allowance
This is paid monthly and depends on the workstation. Cluster 1 is Nairobi City. Cluster 2 covers Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi, Kakamega and Kitale. Cluster 3 is all other areas.
| Job Group | Cluster 1 | Cluster 2 | Cluster 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 16,500 | 12,800 | 9,600 |
| C3 | 28,000 | 22,000 | 16,500 |
| C4 | 28,000 | 22,000 | 16,500 |
| C5 | 35,000 | 25,500 | 18,000 |
| D1–D4 | 45,000 | 28,000 | 21,000 |
Commuter Allowance
This is a recurring monthly allowance: Ksh 5,000 at C2, Ksh 6,000 at C3, Ksh 8,000 at C4 and C5, Ksh 12,000 at D1 and D2, and Ksh 14,000 at D3.
Hardship Allowance
Teachers in designated hardship areas receive this monthly: Ksh 10,900 at C2, Ksh 12,300 at C3, Ksh 14,650 at C4, Ksh 17,100 at C5, Ksh 27,300 at D1 and D2, and Ksh 31,500 at D3. Many special schools and units are in remote or arid areas, so this can be a meaningful part of the package.
Annual Leave Allowance
This is paid once a year (in January): Ksh 6,000 for C2 to C5, and Ksh 10,000 for D1 and above.
What an SNE Teacher Takes Home: Two Examples
These are illustrative gross monthly figures at the entry point of each grade, before deductions such as PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the housing levy.
SNE Teacher II (Primary), C2, point 1, Cluster 3 station
- Basic salary: Ksh 39,070
- Special School Allowance: Ksh 10,000
- House allowance: Ksh 9,600
- Commuter allowance: Ksh 5,000
- Gross: Ksh 63,670, or Ksh 74,570 with the Ksh 10,900 hardship allowance
SNE Senior Teacher (Primary), C4, point 1, Cluster 3 station
- Basic salary: Ksh 57,667
- Special School Allowance: Ksh 15,000
- House allowance: Ksh 16,500
- Commuter allowance: Ksh 8,000
- Gross: Ksh 97,167
The same C4 teacher in a Cluster 1 station would receive Ksh 28,000 in house allowance instead, lifting the total to Ksh 108,667. Location matters almost as much as grade.
Support for Teachers Who Live With Disabilities
The Special School Allowance is separate from benefits aimed at teachers who themselves have disabilities.
These are not payments for teaching in a special school, and any eligible teacher may claim them. They include:
- Personal Guide Allowance: a flat Ksh 20,000 per month, paid through the payroll, for teachers who need physical or sensory support daily.
- Reader’s or Interpreter’s Facilitation Allowance: support for teachers who need a reader or sign-language interpreter to do their work.
To qualify for the Personal Guide Allowance, SRC and TSC specifications require that a teacher live with one of the following:
- Visual impairment: blindness or severe low vision (visual acuity of 6/60 or below, verified by an ophthalmologist).
- Hearing impairment: complete deafness or muteness.
- Severe physical disability: conditions requiring a wheelchair, two crutches or walking frames, or where both hands are entirely engaged in operating a walking aid.
The amount is the same across all grades from B5 to D5.
KUSNET: The Union Representing SNE Teachers
SNE teachers are represented by the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET), led by Secretary General James Torome.
KUSNET’s membership is mainly drawn from teachers in special schools across primary, JSS and secondary levels.
After opposition from other unions, TSC formally recognised KUSNET as the third teachers’ union, and the agreement allows it to bargain on matters affecting SNE teachers.
The union was formed to campaign for better terms and conditions for SNE teachers, to engage parents of SNE learners, and to respond to challenges in special needs education.
The union has pressed the employer on staffing and promotions. It has petitioned TSC to employ more SNE teachers to address under-staffing.
Torome has also urged the implementation of a presidential directive to upgrade teachers by one job group, saying the delay was demoralising members.
He has further called for higher capitation for special needs education, citing challenges such as the high cost of Braille for blind learners.
Not every teacher with a disability belongs to the union. KUSNET has clarified that many educators with disabilities teach in mainstream schools and are not affiliated with it.
Since the allowances above are negotiated and reviewed through the CBA, KUSNET’s voice will matter in the discussions ahead.
A Pledge on the Table: Raising the Allowance
On World Teachers’ Day, 5 October, President William Ruto pledged to review and raise the special needs allowance. The lowest rate would rise from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 15,000.
The President said this will happen under the new Career Progression Guidelines (CPG), which he assured teachers will be released within two weeks, once the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), chaired by Sammy Chepkwony, completes its job evaluation.
The changes are expected to be integrated into the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in July 2027.
What the Increase Would Mean
A rise from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 15,000 is a 50% increase on the lowest rate. For the C2 teacher above, gross monthly pay would go from Ksh 63,670 to Ksh 68,670, or from Ksh 74,570 to Ksh 79,570 in a hardship station. That is Ksh 60,000 more a year.
Questions teachers and KUSNET will watch closely:
- What happens to the higher grades? The pledge refers to the lowest rate. If C2 reaches Ksh 15,000, the same as C4 and C5 today, the gradient between grades could flatten unless higher rates also move.
- When will payments begin? The CPG is due within weeks, but CBA integration is set for July 2027. Teachers will want to know when the increase takes effect and whether arrears will be paid.
- Will the final figures match the pledge? Announcements at public events are not gazetted or signed circulars. The detail will become clear when the CPG is released and the job evaluation is finalised.
Until TSC issues a formal circular, the existing rates in the tables above remain in force.
Why This Matters
SNE teachers’ learners may be deaf, blind, autistic, physically disabled or living with intellectual challenges, and each child needs a different approach. Many teachers serve in boarding special schools where their duties extend well beyond the timetable.
Adequate pay helps retain that expertise. If the allowance does not keep pace with the demands of the work, trained SNE teachers may seek transfers to mainstream schools, where the work can be easier for the same grade.
The Special School Allowance exists to counter that pull, and a higher allowance could strengthen retention at a time when inclusive education is a national priority.
Practical Advice for SNE Teachers
- Check your payslip. Confirm the Special School Allowance matches your job group, and that house, commuter and hardship allowances match your station.
- Know your cluster and hardship status. Together they can shift monthly pay by tens of thousands of shillings.
- Apply for support you qualify for. If you live with a qualifying disability, the Ksh 20,000 Personal Guide Allowance or reader and interpreter facilitation may be available through TSC, with medical verification.
- Stay in touch with your union. KUSNET is a channel for raising concerns about pay, deployment and promotion.
- Follow official channels. Watch for TSC circulars and union communication on the CPG rather than relying on social media summaries.
- Plan for promotion. The allowance rises with job group up to D1, so progression improves both basic pay and the special allowance.
Conclusion
TSC’s remuneration of SNE teachers rests on three layers: the basic salary for the grade, the standard allowances every teacher receives, and the Special School Allowance for the added demands of teaching learners with disabilities.
Separate benefits such as the Ksh 20,000 Personal Guide Allowance support teachers who themselves live with disabilities. KUSNET, under James Torome, carries these teachers’ demands to the negotiating table.
If the President’s pledge to lift the lowest rate from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 15,000 is delivered through the new CPG and folded into the 2025–2029 CBA, it will be a meaningful gain for the teachers who serve some of Kenya’s most vulnerable learners. The details are still to be confirmed, so teachers should watch for the official release in the coming weeks.
