Wamuchomba faults teachers for failing to raise hardship zone reclassification issue in State House
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 16, 2025Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba has faulted teacher union heads for failing to raise the issue of hardship reclassification during their recent visit to State House.
Wamuchomba said she was disappointed that teachers present at State House were celebrating while the government is proposing to reclassify hardship zones, a move that will see teachers in these areas stripped of the hardship allowance they have enjoyed for years.
According to Wamuchomba, more than 119,000 teachers in 35 counties and over 129 sub-counties are set to be affected by the proposal.
“Over 119,000 teachers in 35 counties and over 129 sub-counties are going to be affected by the proposal.”
She noted that a report tabled in Parliament by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi recommends reclassifying some areas, including counties and sub-counties, into extreme and moderate categories.
“According to a report that was read by prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in Parliament, the government wants to reclassify some areas, some counties, and subcounties in extreme and moderate areas.”
Wamuchomba argued that the government is seeking to save Ksh6 billion from hardship allowances normally awarded to teachers and questioned whether the celebrations at State House were justified in light of such a critical issue.
“The government of the day is seeking to save Ksh6 billion from the hardship allowance that is normally awarded to teachers when they were celebrating in State House. were they celebrating that these reclassification should stop?”
Impact on teachers
She added that some areas previously categorised as hardship zones, where teachers qualified for hardship allowances, are now set to be removed from the list, with about 118,000 teachers losing these benefits.
Wamuchomba also criticised the State House meeting that brought together more than 10,000 teachers to discuss various issues, saying that a matter of such magnitude should not be handled by a mass gathering but through structured negotiations by union heads to ensure productivity.
She further faulted KUPPET boss Omboko Milemba, who led the delegation, for failing to raise the matter despite its wide-reaching impact on teachers.