Sh5.3bn budget blow: TSC faces new year without injury cover

 In a submission to the National Assembly Education Committee, the Teachers Service Commission said the budget gap in the financial year 2026–27 estimates has left teachers exposed.

While appearing before the Tinderet MP Julius Melly–led committee, TSC warned that the 2026-27 budget estimates have omitted several critical expenditures, leaving the service financially exposed.

The most alarming gaps, according to the submission by TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei, include Sh5.3 billion needed for Group Life, Group Personal Accident and Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) covers.

“Group life, Group Personal Accident and WIBA covers for teachers, estimated at Sh5.3 billion, have not been factored into the proposed budget,” the TSC boss told the committee, signalling that teachers risk losing these safety nets unless additional funding is provided.

The commission further revealed that the Treasury has also ignored a pending bill of Sh4.4 billion owed to the previous medical cover provider, Minet Kenya Limited.

The debt arose after the medical contract expired on November 30, 2025.

While the government allocated Sh3 billion during supplementary estimates, a balance of Sh4.4 billion remains outstanding.

“The commission owes Minet Kenya Sh4.4 billion. This was also not factored into the proposed budget,” TSC said.

Teachers and their dependents are currently covered by the Social Health Insurance Fund.

While the commission has successfully recruited 100,000 teachers over the past three years and plans to convert 20,000 interns to permanent terms in 2026-27, operational funding is collapsing.

The teachers’ employer warned that its field operations are underfunded by approximately Sh800 million.

The money, MPs heard, was meant to finance the phased procurement of motor vehicles and other operational expenses.

Additionally, the commission has no allocation for acting allowances for administrators, a shortfall estimated at Sh2.2 billion.

Presenting the budget breakdown, TSC noted that the Treasury had reduced its overall proposed estimates by Sh304 million, from Sh422.956 billion to Sh422.652 billion.

According to the commission, the reduction will severely affect training and retooling of teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum and the management of teacher discipline cases.

TSC’s budget implementation report for the current financial year (2025-26) already shows strain.

As of March 31, 2026, TSC had absorbed only 26 per cent of its development budget, raising questions about project completion timelines.

However, no new projects are planned for 2026-27, and the commission insists it has no historical pending bills apart from the medical insurance debt.

MPs have expressed alarm, arguing that leaving teachers without WIBA cover is illegal and dangerous.

Teachers regularly face risks of assault, road accidents while travelling to rural postings and injuries in under-resourced schools.

Lawmakers argued that failure to provide funds means that if a teacher is permanently disabled at work next year, there is no budget to compensate them.

TSC has appealed to the House committee to restore the missing allocations, warning that failure to do so will cripple teacher welfare and undermine the government’s agenda in the education sector.