MPs shoot down proposal to hike Teachers Service Commission budget

By Allan Kisia and Vitalis Kimutai

Nairobi, Kenya: The National Assembly Thursday evening shot down two amendments seeking to increase budgetary allocation to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Two MPs who moved the amendments to the Appropriation Bill had hoped that TSC would use the money to respond to the latest demands by teachers, and end ongoing strike.

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo wanted to increase the allocation to TSC by Sh47 billion while his Bomet Central counterpart, Ronald Tonui, proposed to increase it by Sh24 billion. Some 173 legislators voted to decide on the fate of the amendment by the Gem MP where 98 voted NO, 75 voted YES while two abstained.

The exercise was marked by shouting contests between Jubilee and Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) legislators. Confrontation started when Jakoyo was moving amendments to the Appropriation Bill (National Assembly Bill No 11 of 2013) at the committee stage.

An appropriation Bill or running Bill is a legislative Motion that authorises the Government to spend money. It sets money aside for specific spending and approval of the legislature is necessary. In the amendments, Jakoyo was seeking to deduct Sh47 billion from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s budget of Sh77.3 billion.

The ministry would have been left with Sh30.3 billion and TSC, which employs and pays teachers, would have had an additional Sh47 billion in its budget.

TSC had been given Sh148.4 billion for salaries and expenses, including general administration and planning, teacher management, field services and quality assurance and standards. TSC would have received Sh195.4 billion, had the amendment by Jakoyo sailed through.

Jakoyo and other CORD MPs were hoping TSC would use the money to cater for the salary demands by teachers, who downed their tools on Monday. Had Midiwo’s amendment sailed through, it would have been a blow to the Jubilee manifesto. The Jubilee Government promised free laptops to all pupils joining Class One, next year.

The reduction would have impacted negatively on the Ministry of Education’s plan. The Government had allocated Sh53 billion for free laptops, with the first phase of the project costing Sh17 billion. Jakoyo was also seeking to increase the amount allocated to the Office of Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The office had been given Sh1.3 billion but he sought to increase the allocation by Sh1 billion.

The Gem MP also made efforts to increase the budgetary allocation to the Registrar of Political Parties. He had hoped to increase the allocation from Sh329 million to Sh3.3 billion.

Increase allocation

He had further hoped to increase the allocation to the Auditor General’s office from Sh2 billion to Sh4 billion. He argued the office needed more money since it is also mandated to audit county governments.

“We will be exporting corruption to the counties if we do not allocate enough funds to the office to properly audit the accounts,” he explained.

Amendments by Eldama Ravine MP, Moses Lessonet, however, sailed through. Lessonet increased the allocation to the Ministry of Devolution and Planning from Sh44. 8 billion to Sh46.1 billion. He reduced the money allocated to the Ministry of Health from Sh13.5 billion to Sh12.2 billion.

Tonui’s amendments also suffered a blow when Jubilee MPs shot it down. He had hoped to reduce the allocation for the Ministry of Education from Sh77.3 billion to Sh53.3 billion, denying it Sh24 billion.

He had intended to give TSC the Sh24 billion which would have been used to increase teachers’ pay.

He told the House the money would have been used to harmonise the allowances of teachers with those of public servants.

“Teachers are the only ones who are never paid leave allowance,” he added. He further said there was a huge variation in commuter allowance of teachers and other public servants in the same job group.