Teachers are in for a rude shock after the Teachers Service Commission said it will not be in a position to implement the much-anticipated pay hike in the face of the Sh10 billion budget cut.
The teachers will also be operating without a medical cover from December as the reality of budget adjustments sets in.
The 46,000 interns teachers will wait longer to join the government payroll in new changes the commission has employed to respond to the budget trims.
TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia told MPs on Wednesday teachers will have to wait longer as honouring the collective bargain agreement is untenable.
The second phase of 2021-25 amended CBA was to be implemented by end of this month. This was according to a deal inked between the commission and the teachers’ unions.
The first phase started from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
Teachers were to get improved house allowances, especially for those in cluster four. They were also to benefit from increased earnings to cushion them from the rising cost of living.
The salary boom was to cover all teachers hired before July 1, 2023.
Macharia told the National Assembly Education Committee the teachers enhanced pay is among the programmes affected by the budget cuts being implemented by the Treasury in government ministries and departments.
The commission lost Sh10.2 billion following the proposed cuts.
“This reduction will impact the compensation of teaching service employees,” Macharia told the committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly.
“As a result, the commission will not be able to implement the second phase of the 2021-2025 amended CBA between the commission and the teachers' unions.”
The development might spark outrage among teachers and cause disruption in schools as students prepare for national exams.
MPs have faulted the Treasury for allegedly setting the government against the people by targeting crucial sectors that will fuel public rage.
“One of the problems we have in this country is people at the Treasury who are misadvising the President. If we have a CBA that is active and Treasury is coming here to say that we hold, is that not setting people against the government?” Luanda MP Dick Maungu posed.
“We are currently having Gen Zs protests, those Gen Zs are sons and daughters of these teachers, we are like inviting their parents to join them in the streets. ”
“If we mismanage the teachers, we are going to set the people against the government.”
Melly directed that Treasury rescinds the cuts on CBA as well as hiring of teachers.
“Already you have committed yourselves as a government, kindly avail confirmation rescinding the cuts tomorrow,” the MP said.
As a result of the adjustments, TSC will also delay the recruitment of 20,000 teachers.
Macharia said the earliest they can recruit the 20,000 teachers is October this year, while intern teachers will wait up to January next year.
This is despite an assurance by President William Ruto that despite the fall of the Finance Bill, 2024, the government will look for ways of raising money to hire them.
Addressing the nation from State House on July 5, Ruto said the government will rationalise its budget to accommodate the teachers as promised.
The government had planned to employ 46,000 intern teachers at a cost of Sh18.3 billion.
The CEO said the teachers will also not have a medical cover if the proposed budget cuts are allowed to stand.
The three-year teachers’ medical contract is in its second year of implementation.
The third year is expected to start from December 1 this year at a cost of Sh20.6 billion.
“The current allocation is inadequate to enable the commission to meet its financial commitment for year three of the contract,” Macharia submitted.
“Further, there will be no group life, group personal accident and WIBA covers for teachers owing to lack of provision.”