MPs question delay in payment of allowances to 99,000 teachers despite funds allocation

Members of the National Assembly's Parliamentary Committee on Education have raised concerns over the non-payment of allowances to thousands of teachers, despite budgetary allocations for the purpose.

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has revealed that a record 99,000 teachers are currently serving in acting positions but have not received the allowances they are entitled to, despite these funds being allocated in the national budget.

During a stakeholders’ engagement on the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment Bill), 2024—aimed at granting special allowances to teachers in acting roles—KUPPET Secretary General Omboko Milemba highlighted the issue of unpaid allowances. He stressed that these teachers were suffering due to the failure to disburse funds that are rightfully owed to them under the law.

The bill, sponsored by Mandera South MP Abdul Haro, was met with resistance from various stakeholders, including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Public Service Commission (PSC), Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the State Law Office, the Auditor General’s office, and the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC).

Despite this opposition, Omboko Milemba strongly advocated for the bill, urging the committee to approve it as a means of alleviating the suffering of teachers across the country.

“Thousands of teachers are out there acting in various capacities and are not being paid their allowances. The number of teachers in acting positions has grown significantly over the years,” Milemba said.

“TSC is failing to compensate teachers for their additional labor. This is why we support the bill – to ensure that these teachers get the support they deserve,” he added.

However, the National Assembly’s Education Committee, led by Chairman Julius Melly (Tinderet), questioned the need for the bill, suggesting that it would not have been necessary if TSC had done its job effectively.

“This bill is a desperate measure arising from TSC's failure to fill vacant positions in a timely manner,” Melly remarked. “How can 99,000 teachers be in acting positions without pay when the funds are already available in the budget? We demand a detailed explanation of the numbers and the reasons for this delay.”

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera also called for full transparency on the issue. “We need detailed information on the number of teachers in acting positions, how much they have been paid, how much they are still owed, and the reasons for the delay in payment,” he said.

In response, the TSC, KLRC, Attorney General, and PSC opposed the proposed legislation, arguing that the desired changes could be made through existing regulations rather than a new law.

“The commission’s position is that the legislative amendments proposed by the Honorable Member should await the anticipated reforms in the education and teaching sector,” said Allan Sitima, Senior Deputy Director of Legal Services at TSC.