President William Ruto has promised to follow up on a request by teachers in Taita Taveta for a hardship allowance.
Speaking to residents on Saturday, September 26, Ruto said he had been informed about the teachers’ concerns and would look into the matter with the relevant authorities.
“I have been informed that the teachers of this region are requesting a hardship allowance. I will follow up on the issue and see the way forward on how we can handle the matter,” Ruto said.
The President said he had also seen some of the challenges faced by people living and working in the area, particularly because of its hilly terrain.
“I will follow up on the issue because I have arrived here and seen that indeed there is a hardship in this region, and walking on such a hilly place is a very tough task,” he added.
The request comes as teachers in some parts of the country continue to receive hardship allowances based on the areas where they are deployed.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) currently recognises 44 areas as hardship zones. They include parts of Kitui, Isiolo, Wajir, Lamu, Kajiado and Laikipia.
Other areas listed by TSC are Marakwet, Tharaka, Mbeere, Makueni, Marsabit, Garissa, Mandera, Tana River, Baringo, Samburu, Turkana and West Pokot.
Hardship areas are generally associated with challenges such as poor infrastructure, limited access to essential services, difficult climatic conditions, insecurity and inadequate social amenities.
Ruto’s remarks come after TSC clarified the status of hardship allowances earlier this year.
In May 2026, the commission dismissed reports claiming that it had introduced a new two-tier hardship allowance structure that would take effect from July 1.
TSC described the documents circulating online as fake and misleading.
The commission also said the 44 gazetted hardship areas and the existing hardship allowance arrangements remained unchanged at the time.
Ruto raised the issue as he began a tour of the Coast region, which will take him to Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu counties.
The tour includes visits to government projects and engagements with residents and local leaders on development priorities in the region.