The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is pushing for teachers dismissed from service for whatever reason to be eligible for accrued pension benefits.
Speaking during a visit to Kilifi County on Thursday, April 24, 2025, KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu indicated that such teachers should be entitled to benefits for the number of years worked.
“In a situation where a teacher commits an offence, is interdicted and dismissed from the service, the regulations do not allow you to be paid anything. Our proposal as a union is that when you are dismissed for whatever reason, your behaviour has nothing to do with your benefits,” Oyuu stated.
“Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that you worked for the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) for some years. Let TSC pay you the number of years for which you worked when you were still a good man or good woman.”
Discharge from service
According to TSC regulations, a teacher can voluntarily retire after attaining the age of 50 years, serving continuously for a period of not less than 10 years and through a compulsorily retirement after attaining 60 years of age.
Teachers who fall in this category are entitled to retirement benefits, but not those dismissed from service on other grounds.
Oyuu’s remarks come just a year after the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary-General Akelo Misori urged all teachers who had been earlier dismissed from the service to seek retirement benefits.
KUPPET on dismissed teachers
”To safeguard the teachers’ social security rights, the union wishes to inform all teachers who were dismissed to apply for their pension, with copies served on the union,” Misori said.
Misori’s calls followed a judgment from the Employment and Labour Relations Court that gave legal provision in relation to those dismissed from service to forfeit all claims to pension.
”Following the judgement, all public servants, including teachers who were dismissed from employment before their statutory retirement age have the right to their terminal benefits, including pensions and/or gratuity,” Misori noted.
According to TSC regulations, a teacher can be discontinued from service if they have died, obtained registration certificate fraudulently, have been convicted of a sexual offence against a pupil, have been convicted of a criminal offence or in the case that they are unable to perform their duties due to physical or mental illnesses or infirmity.
The names of such teachers will be published in a gazette notice within a month of their dismissal and their names expunged from the teachers’ register.