(REVISED) TSC HARDSHIP AREAS IN KENYA 2020/2021; A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF COUNTIES/ AREAS MAPPED OUT AS HARDSHIP AREAS AS OF THE YEAR 2020/2021

(REVISED) TSC HARDSHIP AREAS IN KENYA 2020/2021; A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF COUNTIES/ AREAS MAPPED OUT AS HARDSHIP AREAS AS OF THE YEAR 2020/2021

It is in the public domain that parliament has been ordered to scrap off some areas initially listed as hardship areas for teachers and other civil servants on grounds that the areas are no longer hardship having developed over the years.

This is after the World Bank noted that some of these areas are now easily accessible for they are dotted by all-weather roads. Besides, some of the hardship areas now have adequate water, electricity, security, and food hence providing a conducive working environment for government-employed workers.

TRENDING NEWS ON TSC HARDSHIP AREAS AND ALLOWANCES

TSC TO SCRAP HARDSHIP ALLOWANCES FOR SOME AREAS

LATEST TSC HARDSHIP ALLOWANCES/ AREAS

What is a hardship area?

Change is an inevitable force and as times change, there are new factors such as insecurity which play a key role in determining areas listed by the Teachers Service Commission as hardship areas.

They are described as TSC hardship areas due to the rather strenuous working conditions that TSC employees such as teachers, education officers, quality assurance officers, county, and regional education directors are subjected to.

Some of the tough working conditions that they have to put up with include insecurity for instance in some parts of the North Eastern and Coastal regions, poor infrastructure, and poor social amenities.

What is a hardship allowance?

Due to these deplorable working conditions, the TSC is fair enough for the Commission has seen to it that employees deployed to hardship areas earn more pay due to the potential risk they are exposed to.

They, therefore, have extra packages such as risk allowance and transport allowance which gives them an upper hand when it comes to their monthly salaries compared to their counterparts working in “normal” areas.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive list of counties and areas that are currently mapped out as hardship areas for teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission, TSC in Kenya.

Conditions for Hardship Areas in Kenya; Selection Criteria

For an area to qualify as a hardship area, the region must meet the following minimum conditions:

1. Lack of and/or Inadequate food
2. Poor transport and communication channels
3. Lack of and/or inadequate social amenities
4. Life-threatening catastrophes such as insecurity
5. Persistent harsh climatic conditions such as floods, landslides, and drought

Some parts of the North Eastern, Eastern, Rift Valley, and Coast regions have been experiencing major challenges including understaffing, religious conflicts, drought, militia attacks on teachers orchestrated by militia groups among others.

HERE IS A FULL LIST OF AREAS/COUNTIES LISTED AS HARDSHIP AREAS BY TSC

TEACHERS ALLOWANCES PER JOB GROUP

Due to the challenges that teachers teaching in hardship oriented areas face, The government of Kenya decided to chip in to at least compensate them on the extra cost of life hence making their stay at those areas a bit comfortable.

The table below summarizes the monthly hardship allowance rates that are paid to teachers working in hardship areas; per job group as per the 2014 review: