Money has been allocated to employ JSS teachers, Mbadi says

It is a relief for teachers after the National Treasury and Economic Planning CS John Mbadi said the government has allocated funds to employ Junior Secondary School teachers on permanent terms.

The CS refuted claims suggesting otherwise, he further apologized for any anxiety caused.

"The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning Hon John Mbadi assures Kenyans that funds have been allocated by the government to employ Junior Secondary School teachers on permanent and pensionable terms starting January 2025," the Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning said in a statement on X.

Last week, Mbadi stated that the government does not have money to employ JSS teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

Speaking on Thursday, the CS said there is a shortfall in the budget and therefore, the government cannot address JSS teachers' concerns.

"We don't have resources for recruiting JSS teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, and we do not have the resources for the additional 20,000 JSS teachers that were reduced in the estimates," Mbadi said.

The government had planned to employ teachers who are currently on internships at a budget of Sh18.3 billion.

The fall of the Finance Bill 2024 created a budget hole of Sh346 billion.

In June, the Court of Appeal put on hold plans to employ 46,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

Justices Asike Makhandia, Sankale Ole Kantai and Ngenye Macharia suspended the orders issued by the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) requiring TSC to convert the internship to permanent and pensionable terms.

The JSS teachers will continue working as interns until the case filed by the Nancy Macharia-led commission is heard and determined.

In the application, TSC claimed that the orders by Justice ELRC threw its plans into disarray as the money required to hire the intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms was not budgeted for.

"The rights of all learners in public schools underpinned under Articles 43 and 53 of the Constitution are on the verge of being violated, as the Commission has no financial resources to onboard the 46,000 on permanent and pensionable terms and conditions," argued TSC lawyer Allan Sitima.