Teachers to get August salaries with increment backdated to 1st July

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will pay salary increment with arrears backdated to 1st July in teachers August salaries inline with the 2021 – 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Yesterday the Commission was allocated sh10 billion funds to implement the teachers CBA.

In a report the Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, also reinstated Sh 5 billion for exam administration.

“The proposed reduction in recurrent expenditure comprises Sh10 billion from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for collective bargaining agreement (CBA) implementation, Sh5 billion from basic education for examination waiver for primary and secondary school national examinations, and Sh1.7 billion sponsorships to students in private universities,” reads the report.

On 28^th August, 2023, TSC signed the 2021-2025 CBA with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET).

TSC met the unions in Naivasha this year to iron out some issues in the CBA and was planning to implement the benefits in July salaries.

The Commission was to get the CBA funding through the 2024 Finance Bill which was unsuccessful.

The Treasury then proposed budget cuts and TSC was affected with key areas including CBA implementation being postponed.

The agreement reviewed the remuneration payable to teachers which is to be implemented in two phases. The first phase was implemented on 1^st July 2023.

The second phase was to be implemented on 1^st July 2024. Teachers were to get salary changes in their July 2024 payslips but this will now happen in August.

In the agreement the House allowance rates shall be paid as categorized in four clusters. Cluster 1: Nairobi City Cluster 2: Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru Cities, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale municipalities. Cluster 3: Other former municipalities. Cluster 4: All other areas.

In the agreement the House allowance rates for Clusters 1, 2 and 3 were retained. However, Cluster 4 rates were reviewed to be implemented in two phases.

The first phase was factored in the August 2023 payroll with arrears backdated to 1/7/2023. The second phase will be paid with arrears backdated to 1/7/2024.

Also in the report tabled by Peter Masara, a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, critical areas like free day secondary education, free primary education, and Junior Secondary School (JSS) have been spared from rationalization.

In the new move, the Basic Education budget will rise by Sh14.3 billion to Sh131.2 billion, contrary to a previous proposed reduction of Sh14.93 billion.

This increase includes Sh11.98 billion for free primary education and Sh2.4 billion for free day secondary education.

Sh5 billion has been allocated for the administration of national examinations and assessments for almost 3.5 million learners in Grades Three, Six, and Form Four.

This includes Sh1.9 billion for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Sh3.1 billion for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

The TSC will receive an additional Sh29.5 billion for teacher resource management, with Sh17.6 billion going towards converting 46,000 intern teachers into Permanent and Pensionable terms. Sh11.9 billion will be used for teachers’ medical cover.

“The members of the public requested that the National Assembly ringfence the allocation for JSS as proposed by the TSC. The committee notes the concern by the public and is committed to enhancing the current allocation for hiring JSS intern teachers in FY 2024/25,” he said.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia highlighted that without adequate funding, teachers would lose their medical cover, including group life, group personal accident, and Work Injury Benefits Act (Wiba) covers. The third year of the teachers’ medical contract, set to start on December 1, will cost Sh20.6 billion.

In addition, the budget for Higher Education and Research will see an increment of Sh1.15 billion, bringing it to Sh120.4 billion.

“The public had proposed reinstating allocations for the State Department for Higher Education and Research to its FY 2024/25 levels, including a proposed Sh10 billion for the EduAfya program,” read part of the report.

Previously, the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) was to face a budget cut of Sh710 million, and the Universities Fund (UF) for scholarships was to be reduced by Sh2.6 billion from the initial Sh19.6 billion.

Last week while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Education chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala warned that these cuts would hinder 153,292 learners from accessing government funding. “Government funding for students under Helb and the UF has been reduced, leaving many first-year students inadequately funded,” said Inyangala.

The committee also proposed funding the school meals program to support ongoing initiatives that mitigate negative impacts on school attendance, nutrition, and economic stability.