A House committee has warned that teachers may resort to strikes following the government’s move to reduce the recurrent budget of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) by Sh10.2 billion.
The Departmental Committee on Education, in its report on the consideration of the Financial Year 2024-25 Supplementary Budget Estimates No. 1 for the ministry of Education and TSC noted that of the total amount reduced, Sh10 billion was for the implementation of CBA between the commission and teachers unions.
“The implication of this is that teachers will not receive salary increments envisaged in the CBA,” committee chair Julius Melly said in the report.
Melly added that the reduction may lead to industrial unrest and disruption of teaching and learning in public schools as well as litigations in courts.
“Industrial unrest is something which this government may not which to deal with at this time given the current unease situation in the country hence the need to ensure that this allocation is provided,” the committee advised.
He said the government should reinstate the allocation to enable the commission to implement the second phase of the 2021-25 CBA.
TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia appeared before the committee on May 14 and 15 2024 and submitted that the overall recurrent budget of the commission has been reduced by 10,281,147,858.
Macharia noted that that the new gross recurrent budget is Sh347,492,589,260 down from the initial allocation of Sh357,773,737,118.
She further submitted that the reduction in the development budget is Sh38,000,000 wholly on Government of Kenya-funded projects.
She said the new development budget is Sh404,329,000 down from the initial Sh442,329,000.
As a result of the reduction, Macharia said there will be a delay in implementing the second phase of the 2021-2025 CBA between TSC and teacher unions, which had been allocated Sh10 billion.
The commission and union representatives in August last year signed an agreement to amend the 2021-2025 CBA to include a salary increment of up to 9.5 per cent spread over two years.
