MPs scrutinise bill seeking to raise money for teachers

Suba MP John Mbadi

The Parliamentary Budget Office Tuesday scrutinised an unprecedented bill that seeks to cut the national budget for the current financial year by Sh32 billion.

An Opposition MP wants to use the bill to raise money for the Government so that it honours the court-awarded 50-60 per cent pay-rise for teachers.

The Appropriations (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was scheduled for scrutiny before the Budget and Appropriations Committee Tuesday, but was postponed to Thursday to give room for MPs to attend the address by visiting Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

"The principal object of the bill is to amend the Appropriation Act to provide for re-allocations arising from savings from non-priority areas in which no expenditure is unlikely to be incurred before the end of the financial year and deploying the money to the Teachers Service Commission for the settlement of the collective bargaining agreement between the teachers and their employer," reads in part the memo attached to the bill that John Mbadi (Suba) sent to the budget office.

Mr Mbadi wants the money to come from the National Treasury (Sh2 billion), the National Youth Service (Sh4 billion) and a uniform cut of two per cent across all ministries except the TSC that will amount to Sh10.7 billion. The development budget will also be cut by Sh15.6 billion.