Forget it! I won’t implement order to raise teachers' pay, Uhuru says

"That was a court error. I can't pay, I won't pay." This was President Uhuru Kenyatta's candid message to the striking teachers when he addressed journalists yesterday at State House, Nairobi.

The Head of State said the courts erred in awarding teachers the huge salary raise that would make the public sector wage bill unmanageable.

Speaking for the first time since the teachers' unions called a nationwide strike, Kenyatta explained that he was not ready to borrow money to settle the contested pay hike.

He maintained that teachers do not have a legitimate case for salary increase and such a move would precipitate a crisis similar to the one Greece is currently experiencing.

"You cannot kill tomorrow for what you want today," he said, adding that, "the courts cannot rule that I pay what I do not have."

The President spoke after a consultative meeting with top officials of the Ministries of Education, National Treasury and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) officials yesterday expressed shock at the President's position.

"We want to believe that the President was misquoted because we know he respects courts of law," said KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion. "If the statement is true then it would be an affront to the other arm of Government."

KUPPET secretary general Akelo Misori said teachers are taxpayers and deserve better pay.

"We are not employees of the President and we also know that the economy is not run by roadside declarations. We respect the courts and workers must get what they deserve," said Mr Misori.

He asked Kenyans to prepare for hard times. "If it is true that the President said he will not honour the court order, then Kenyans must know that we are headed for chaos in the public sector," he said.

This hardening of positions means that all public schools will remain closed indefinitely.

TSC yesterday declined to respond to questions about the next step. "The President has spoken. We cannot speak," said Kihumba Kamotho, the communications officer.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli issued a seven-day strike notice and said all workers would join teachers in pushing for better pay starting next week.

Over-reliance on borrowing

Asked how long the State was willing to wait before considering the teachers' demands for a pay hike, the President said "never". He said he would be watching the matter to its logical conclusion, which would not involve a settlement in terms of pay hike.

Kenyatta said he was not ready to lead Kenya on the path taken by Greece. "I will not take the country where Greece is (by paying the salaries), and after we get there, everyone will turn to me and ask how I brought you here," he said.

Greece is reeling from over-reliance on borrowing and is now unable to pay its debts.

The Head of State said Greece has survived several defaults and forestalled expulsion from the European Union, including the latest where the commercial banks had run out of currency to give to depositors.

The President's firm stand on the teachers' salary row is set to precipitate a greater crisis as the TSC has threatened to sack more than 5,000 teachers for absconding duty.

The Head of State, who has for the last two weeks avoided wading into the strike debate, said his decision to remain silent was a tactical move to avoid politicising the matter.

Kenyatta told journalists at State House that already, more than half of all taxes collected by the Government are spent on paying salaries.

"Granting the teachers' demands would raise the total national expenditure on wages to 61 per cent," he said.

Yesterday Mr Sossion said they have moved to court to quash the TSC appeal. "In fact we now want all the arrears to be paid in full with full settlement of the 50 to 60 per cent salary raise awarded by the court," he said.

Speaking yesterday, Kenyatta gave a breakdown of the Government's spending plans for the year.

He said some Sh500 billion would go into paying salaries, Sh300 billion to the counties and Sh200 billion to service public debt obligations. He said Kenya Revenue Authority had a target of collecting Sh1.2 trillion in the current financial year, adding that this figure was just a projection.

The Opposition joined the striking teachers and other trade unions in demanding that the State settles the long-running battle for better pay that dates back to 1997.

But Kenyatta said should they given in to the demands and pay teachers what they have asked for, all other government workers would be up in arms demanding that the salaries be harmonised.

"There was a time that teachers had a legitimate case but not now," the President said.