REUBEN KIGAME DISMISSES TEACHERS PAY RISE AS 'GOVERNMENT CONMANSHIP'

Gospel musician and political activist Reuben Kigame has strongly criticized the government’s recent salary increment for teachers, branding it “conmanship” aimed at deceiving educators rather than genuinely addressing their grievances.
Speaking at Sunday service in Nyahururu, Kigame claimed the announced pay rise was a political tactic ahead of national examinations and looming industrial action. He questioned the motive behind the increment, terming it a symbolic gesture lacking real value for teachers on the ground.
“This is not a genuine pay rise—it’s conmanship meant to quiet teachers and score political points. Teachers deserve meaningful reforms, not public relations stunts,” Kigame said.
His remarks come days after the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced a salary adjustment under the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). According to the government, the deal will benefit over 300,000 teachers, with the lowest-paid expected to receive up to a 29.5% raise over four years.
However, teacher unions and civil society leaders have criticized the deal as inadequate, saying it does little to ease the rising cost of living and ignores deeper structural challenges within the education sector.
Kigame, who ran for president in 2022, called on educators to remain vigilant and push for more transparent and comprehensive reforms in public service compensation.