NAIROBI, Kenya – The government has suspended the implementation of a controversial report on hardship area classifications following fierce backlash from teachers, civil servants, and elected leaders across several counties.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku on Thursday announced that the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Education have agreed to pause the rollout of the new classification system, which critics say would unfairly strip hardship benefits from public servants working in remote and underserved areas.
“We have decided to hold on to the report for now,” said Ruku during a visit to Samburu County. “We need to re-evaluate it together with stakeholders and elected leaders before making any decisions.”
The move comes amid a storm of protests, especially from educators and public employees in Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, West Pokot, parts of the Coast, and North Eastern Kenya, who argued that the report’s reclassification would downgrade their regions and lead to the loss of hardship allowances—despite ongoing insecurity, poor infrastructure, and harsh living conditions.
Ruku reassured workers that their allowances remain intact, saying no changes will be made until proper consultations are held.
“Let public servants not fear that their hardship allowances may be discontinued any time soon,” he said. “The government is committed to public participation before implementing the report.”
Strong Pushback from Leaders and Unions
Lawmakers and teachers’ unions condemned the report, accusing the government of failing to account for the real challenges on the ground.
In Samburu, Senator Steve Lelegwe criticized the reclassification of the county from an “extreme” to a “moderate” hardship zone.
“Sometimes you wonder why they decided to reclassify Samburu as a moderate working area,” Lelegwe said. “This region is extremely challenging—from poor mobile network coverage and lack of basic services to insecurity and drought.”
The report’s suspension now paves the way for broader consultations, with stakeholders hoping for a more accurate and inclusive reassessment of Kenya’s hardship areas.
