TSC pushes confirmation of 46,000 interns to January 2025 over budget

A total of 46,000 intern teachers currently on TSC payroll will have to wait longer for their confirmation to permanent and pensionable (PNP) terms.

While appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee yesterday, TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia revealed that the interns will be confirmed in January 2025 due to serious budget cuts it faced from Treasury.

The Commission needs at least sh18.9 billion to confirm the serving intern teachers to permanent terms.

Macharia also said a plan to recruit 18,000 junior and 2,000 primary school intern teachers in July has been postponed to October this year.

TSC has on its payroll a total of 46,000 teachers serving on internship terms.

These are 21,550 junior and 4,000 primary school intern teachers recruited in February 2023. 450 secondary school intern teachers recruited in April 2023. 18,000 junior and 2,000 primary school intern teachers recruited in September 2023.

Macharia said the recurrent TSC budget has been reduced by sh10.28 billion hence affecting its programs.

TSC in its presentation of the 2024 – 2025 Financial Year Supplementary Estimates I noted that the new gross recurrent budget is Sh347.49 billion down from the initial allocation of Sh357.77 billion.

The commission further said there is a reduction of the development budget by Sh38 million wholly on government-funded projects.

The new development budget is Sh404.32 million down from the initial Sh442.32 million, TSC noted.

As a result of the delays, the commission 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.

The commission further noted that the training of teachers has been allocated Sh262 million.

“The commission is to review the number of teachers to be trained,” TSC said.

It further said there has been a reduction in allocations to various expenditure items such as membership subscriptions to professional bodies, routine asset maintenance, and the purchase of motor vehicles, which had been allocated Sh18.6 million.

TSC added that the reduction of the development budget by Sh38 million will affect the completion of the commission’s county offices, specifically in Machakos and Kilifi counties.

“Note that the two development projects are at an advanced completion stage and were to be handed over to the Commission in September 2024. The budget cuts will inevitably delay payments to the Contractors upon raising the completion certificate,” the commission added.

TSC further said the 2024 – 2025 Financial year draft estimates reduced the provision for medical cover, group life, group personal accident and Work Injury Benefits Act for teachers and secretariat staff by 50 per cent, resulting in a shortfall of Sh11.89 billion.

“You will note that the teachers’ medical contract is a three-year framework now in the second year of implementation. The third year is expected to begin on December 1, 2024, for Sh20.668 billion,” TSC said.

“Therefore, the current allocation is inadequate to enable the Commission to meet its financial commitment for Year 3 of the Contract.”

TSC added that during the 2023 – 2024 Financial Year budget implementation, exchequer allocation amounting to Sh4.32 billion was not received.

It said a further Sh3 billion was under-provided in the budget.

“The two items shall, therefore, constitute the first charge on the 2024 – 2025 financial year budget, thereby creating a similar deficit in the current budget,” the commission explained.