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Payslip to payslip: How debts, mental distress are pushing teachers into despair

Education CS Julius Ogamba during the launch of the KNUT wellness and engagement research report at a Nairobi Hotel on May 26, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

New findings reveal that thousands of teachers are trapped in debt, struggling to survive from payslip to payslip and battling severe mental health challenges linked to financial distress and burnout.

The latest Teacher’s Wellness and Engagement Survey (TWES) by the Kenya National Union of Teachers and Knightwise paints the picture of a profession under pressure, where educators entrusted with shaping the nation’s future are themselves sinking into economic and emotional despair.

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