NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 15 — The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has decried the delayed appointment of Teachers’ Pension Scheme Trustees.
KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori, speaking at a conference in Nairobi on Sunday, called on the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u to gazette the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS) nominees.
“KUPPET, therefore, urges the CS Njuguna Ndung’u to immediately discharge his legal responsibility by gazetting the PSSS nominees to safeguard pensioners’ funds,” he stated.
Misori expressed the need for urgent action because close to Sh115 billion of pensioners’ savings were at risk.
“The funds CEO and staff have been left to make decisions which fall under board leadership, the continued vacuum at board level leaves billions of shillings of pensioners’ hard-earned money at risk,” he stated.
KUPPET noted the union has not had representatives on the Board of Trustees for three months despite sending a list of its nominees to CS Ndung’u, as required by law, in January.
Misori further expressed concerns over the lack of compensation for teachers who lose their lives owing to the lack of a life group cover.
“Teachers don’t have a group life cover, so this delay is very serious because there are teachers who are dying and not being taken care of simply because of this delay,” he stated.
KUPPET proposed the PSSS trustees be gazetted before the union’s upcoming Annual General Meeting later in April where the newly elected board would address audit issues from the previous financial year.
By Minah Mahero
