MPs seek report on teachers' hardship allowances

Teachers and Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) officials led by Nakuru branch Executive Secretary Duncan Macharia after addressing the press in Nakuru during their Nationwide strike on August 26, 2024. They vowed to continue with their strike if the government fails to honor the CBA 2021-2025. [FILE/Standard] Parliament has given three government agencies a month to prepare a report on the criteria used to allocate hardship allowances. The National Assembly Committee on Implementation queried the distribution of teachers, accusing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of "handpicking" teachers for promotion and deployment to areas where they will earn more. Kajiado East MP Kakuta Maimai claimed some teachers from urban areas are posted to rural schools with hardship allowances and granted senior positions at the expense of the local ones. "I find that headteachers posted in these rural schools with hardship allowances are often teachers who are handpicked. So, I'm having a big backlash from teachers from the local community, saying that they are not being given to head schools in the rural areas where there's hardship allowances," he said. The committee chairman, Raphael Wanjala, said he had been receiving similar complaints from his constituents in Bundalang'i. "This is the same question asked to many people from constituencies of hardship areas, they usually displace the indigenous. Now the indigenous are forced to go and teach in schools where there's no hardship allowance. But the non-locals are brought in big numbers and take over. It is just not right," he said. TSC, the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have now been asked to give an explanation on how the allowances are determined. The committee also accused TSC of unfair distribution of teachers. "My constituency is both urban and rural, and some of my teachers have what is called a hardship allowance. I find that the schools in urban areas, like around Kitengela and Isinya, are oversupplied with teachers. But as you go into the interior of my constituency, there is a big shortage in every school. I don't know what formula is used by TSC uses in Kajiado," said Maimai. TSC Acting Secretary Eveleen Mitei, Public Service Principal Secretary Jane Imbunya and SRC Acting Secretary Margaret Njoka appeared before the committee to respond to a public petition regarding the enhancement of house allowances for teachers working and residing in Kilifi municipality. Njoka explained that SRC relied on a Ministry of Public Service report to determine the clusters for hardship allowance. "I wish to note that the court recommendation review cycle has now started this month of July, and house allowance is one of the areas that we are considering in terms of the review. So yes, we are aware of the disparities that are arising from having the three clusters. But we also wish that, because it is progressive harmonisation, we are also in the discussion in the National Treasury so that we can get the necessary funding," she said. The PS told the committee that the issue raised by the petitioner falls within the mandate of SRC and TSC. She also explained that allowance rates applicable to cluster 3 (other former municipalities) and cluster 4 (other areas) were fully harmonised with effect from July 1 last year. "This means that teachers stationed in Kilifi Municipality are being paid rates in cluster 3. The issue of payment of enhanced house allowance for teachers stationed in Kilifi Municipality has been resolved by SRC and TSC," she said. Mitei defended the recently signed 2025-2029 SVA, saying teachers, through their unions, presented their proposals. She said the unions wanted the house allowance increased by between 30 and 50 per cent. However, due to financial constraints, the commission negotiated to retain the current allowance rates based on three categories, namely Nairobi, major municipalities and other areas.

MPs seek report on teachers' hardship allowances

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