NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 — Members of the National Assembly’s Education Committee have raised concerns over the failure to pay allowances to thousands of teachers serving in acting positions, despite a clear budgetary allocation for the same.
According to the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), approximately 99,000 teachers across the country are currently serving in acting capacities without receiving the allowances they are legally entitled to.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum on the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, KUPPET Secretary-General Omboko Milemba lamented the ongoing plight of these teachers, who continue to shoulder additional responsibilities without appropriate compensation.
“These teachers are suffering. Thousands are acting in various positions, yet they are not paid. It’s a violation of their rights, and it must be addressed,” he said.
The Amendment Bill, sponsored by Mandera South MP Abdul Haro, seeks to formalize the payment of special allowances to teachers serving in acting roles.
However, the bill has faced stiff opposition from several key institutions, including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the State Law Office, the Office of the Auditor General, and the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC).
Underpaid educators
Despite the pushback, Milemba urged the committee to support the bill, arguing it would offer long-overdue relief to thousands of overburdened and underpaid educators.
“The TSC is misusing teachers’ labour by failing to compensate them accordingly. This bill is essential to ensure teachers are elevated and fairly treated,” Milemba stated.
Education Committee Chairperson, Julius Melly (Tinderet), questioned the TSC’s failure to fill vacant positions substantively and in a timely manner.
“This bill appears to be a desperate response to the TSC’s failure to act. How can 99,000 teachers be acting and unpaid, yet funds were allocated? We want a full breakdown of the figures and a clear explanation,” Melly said.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera also pressed for detailed information, demanding comprehensive data on the issue.
“We need comprehensive data on how many teachers are in acting roles, how much they are owed, how much has been paid, and the reasons for the delayed payments,” Nabwera said.
Representatives from the TSC, KLRC, PSC, and the Attorney General’s Office opposed the bill, arguing that the proposed changes could be better implemented through regulatory reforms rather than legislation.
“It is the Commission’s considered view that these amendments should await the broader legal reforms expected in the education and teaching sector,” said Allan Sitima, Senior Deputy Director of Legal Services at TSC.
