Relief for Teachers as SRC Confirms All Hardship Areas Will Remain Unchanged in 2025
Relief for Teachers as SRC Confirms All Hardship Areas Will Remain Unchanged in 2025, Teachers and civil servants working in designated hardship regions will continue receiving their hardship allowances, following a new clarification by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). The commission confirmed that none of the existing hardship zones will be scrapped or revised, calming fears that some teachers could lose this crucial benefit.
SRC Maintains Status Quo on Hardship Zones
Responding to a petition from a teacher in Elgeyo Marakwet County, the SRC clarified that it is not responsible for designating hardship areas.
“The mandate to officially gazette hardship areas lies with the Head of Public Service, acting on recommendations from the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital Development,” SRC stated in a letter dated May 5, 2025.
The Commission also reaffirmed that hardship allowance payments will remain aligned with the existing guidelines under:
SRC Circular Ref. No. SRC/ADM/CIR/1/13 Vol. III(126), dated 10th December 2014
What Was Proposed?
Previous proposals had suggested reclassifying hardship zones into two categories:
- Extreme Hardship Areas
- Moderate Hardship Areas
Some areas were set to lose their hardship status altogether starting from July 1, 2025, while others under the “moderate” category would receive reduced allowances due to improved living conditions and infrastructure.
Teachers in regions such as Tinderet, Soin, Bunyala, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Tharaka Nithi were at risk of being removed from the list, raising nationwide concern.
Proposed Classifications
Extreme Hardship Areas
- Mandera County
- Garissa County
- Turkana County
- Wajir County
- Tana River County
- Marsabit County
- Parts of Lamu and Baringo Counties
- Isiolo County
- West Pokot County
Moderate Hardship Areas
- Narok West, Narok South, Loita
- Parts of Samburu, Suba North & South
- Sections of Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, Kilifi
- Nyando, Nyakach (Kisumu)
- Some parts of Laikipia and Nyandarua
Official TSC List: 44 Approved Hardship Areas for 2025
The following regions are officially recognized by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and remain eligible for hardship allowance:
- Suba – Mfangano and Rusinga Island
- Kuria – Kegonga
- Busia – Budalangi
- Kajiado – Entire Region
- Nakuru – Mbogoini and Makongeni (Lower Solai)
- Laikipia – Entire Region
- Kitui – Entire Region
- Kilifi – Ganze
- Keiyo – Entire Region
- Marakwet – Entire Region
- Kwale – Kinango and Samburu
- Trans Mara – Entire Region
- Mwingi – Entire Region
- Tharaka – Entire Region
- Mbeere – Entire Region
- Malindi – Magarini, Marafa, and Kakoneni
- Machakos – Yatta and Masinga
- Nyeri – Kieni
- Kiambu – Ndeiya and Karai
- Maragwa – Mukuyu
- Nyandarua – Nyahururu High School
- Nyandarua – Nyandarua Boarding Primary
- Kericho – Entire Region
- Kisumu – Muhoroni Valley and Sondu
- Thika – Kakuzi
- Koibatek – Kimgorom
- Narok – Eastern Mau, Osupuko, Mara, Loita, Southern Olulunga
- Makueni – Entire Region
- Isiolo – Entire Region
- Moyale – Entire Region
- Marsabit – Entire Region
- Garissa – Entire Region
- Mandera – Entire Region
- Wajir – Entire Region
- Lamu – Entire Region
- Tana River – Entire Region
- Taita Taveta – Entire Region
- Baringo – Entire Region
- Samburu – Entire Region
- Turkana – Entire Region
- West Pokot – Entire Region
- Mara – Entire Region
- Nandi – Tinderet
- Meru North (Nyambene): Mutuai, Ndoleli, Igembe East, Buuri, Giika, Linjoka, Ankamia, Amung’enti, Thangatha, Mumui, Kiujuline, Akithi zones
The latest confirmation by SRC offers a huge sigh of relief for teachers serving in remote, marginalized, and under-resourced areas. Despite earlier proposals to reduce or eliminate hardship allowances, all 44 hardship zones remain intact.
Teachers in these regions can rest assured that their allowances will continue without interruption, reinforcing the government’s commitment to equitable compensation.
Stay tuned to Opportunitieshub for ongoing updates on TSC policies, teacher salary changes, hardship allowances, and education reforms across Kenya.
