Employees in Tharaka South, Tharaka North and Igamba Ng’ombe sub-counties in July petitioned the National Assembly to intervene in their case following stoppage of the allowance two months after its implementation. The allowance was enforced in 1997 when Tharaka District (now Tharaka Nithi County) was declared a hardship area. This followed the signing of a CBA between the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Public Service Commission chairman Stephen Kirogo told MPs that Tharaka Nithi sub counties are not identified as hardship areas for civil servants. Classification of hardship areas is based on factors such as food and water accessibility, climatic conditions, availability of basic social services, transport and communication services as well as the poverty index.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 30, 2018 18:56 UTC