MPs have turned the heat on the
Teachers Service Commission, accusing it of laxity in substantively filling
management vacancies in schools.
Teachers have been acting in the
positions for months without payment for extra work.
It is estimated 99,000 teachers are
holding positions in acting capacity
across the country, with no allowance
for the additional tasks.
This is despite resources being
availed in the budget.
The inordinate delays have prompted Mandera South MP Abdul Haro
to sponsor the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment bill), 2024, to
among others, confer special allowances to teachers acting in various
positions.
However, the National Assembly’s Education Committee, led by
chairman Julius Melly, said the Bill
would not have been necessary had
the teachers’ employer done its work
effectively and within time.
“This Bill is a desperate measure
where TSC officers have failed to
substantively fill positions which are
vacant,” he said.
“How can 99,000 teachers be acting and not be paid and the money
is availed in the budget? Please give
us the details of the exact numbers
and tell us what exactly is going on,”
Melly said.
He spoke during a session with
members of TSC, Kuppet, the Public Service Commission, Salaries and
Remuneration Commission, the State
Law Office, Auditor General and Kenya Law Reform Commission.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera demanded full details of the teachers
on acting capacity and how much
they are owed in allowances for the
additional tasks.
“Please share with us the details
of the number of people in acting capacity, how much they have been paid
and how much they have not been
paid and give details as to why they
have not been paid,” he said.
Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba, who was appearing as Kuppet
chairman and his deputy secretary
general Moses Nthurima faulted TSC
for misusing teachers.
“Thousands of teachers are out
there acting and are not being paid
allowances. Since then, the teachers
are now in thousands more than before,” he said.
“TSC is wasting and
misusing teachers’ labour as it is not paying them and we are supporting
this Bill to elevate them.”
In their response, TSC, KLRC, Attorney General and PSC opposed the
proposed law, arguing it could also be
achieved through regulations.
“It is thus that the commission’s considered position is that all the
legislative amendments proposed by
the honourable member should await
and expect law reforms in the education and teaching sector,” TSC senior
deputy director of legal services Allan
Sitima submitted.
