MPs cut tourism budget to pay teachers

Parliament Tuesday moved to forestall a crisis in schools and universities after MPs allocated Sh4 billion in additional funds to the Education Ministry to cater for staff salaries and allowances.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly reallocated Sh2 billion from the allocation for Tourism to add to the Education ministry’s allocation. Another Sh2 billion was re-allocated from the Industrialisation ministry. Tourism and Industrialisation now have a Sh750 million budget each.

The decision was made during a meeting between MPs and National Treasury officials Tuesday.

The Rev Mutava Musyimi, who chairs the Budget and Appropriations Committee of Parliament directed the education committee to further interrogate the allocation for laptops for school children with a view to reallocating some of the funds to deal with the teacher crisis.

Education committee chairperson Sabina Chege, who presented the issues facing the ministry to the Budget committee, said Sh3.5 billion was needed to cater for teacher promotions and Sh1.8 billion for lecturers.

Deputy President William Ruto had on Monday said the allocation for lecturers had been agreed on and would be paid. Lecturers had set July 1 as the date on which their strike was to start to press for the release of the money.

Some more funds are required to cater for teacher allowances, which include commuter allowances.

Tuesday, the strike called by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (Kuppet) started in protest against failure to allocate funds for members’ allowances.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has also said it was preparing its members for a strike and warned that its members would not support the laptop for public primary schools project unless they are paid the allowances agreed on in 1997 under the Daniel Moi regime.

According to the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Mr Henry Rotich, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission is expected to have a say in determining allowances for teachers.

“As it is now we cannot take a position on allowances because the matter will go to the SRC,” he told the Budget committee tuesday.

Initially, MPs had considered reallocating the entire budget for the free laptops project, arguing that there were no structures in place for its immediate implementation. However, the Rev Musyimi warned them that the project was a key component of the manifesto on whose platform President Uhuru Kenyatta was elected in March.

“We ask the Education committee to look at the laptop issue and come back to us with recommendations,” he said.

In Mombasa, Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) chairman Wilson Sossion dismissed the strike called by Kuppet.

“There cannot be a teachers’ strike in Kenya unless it is called by the Kenya National Union of Teachers,” Mr Sossion said in reaction to Kuppet vice-chairman Julius Korir, who had earlier asked the 7,000 principals meeting in Mombasa to reject any persuasion by Knut.

“What Kuppet is asking for is a matter that should be fought for in the streets, but what we are asking is implementation of a matter that has been fought for and agreed upon,” Mr Sossion said.

However, Mr Korir said there was no difference between Kuppet’s and Knut’s demands.

Same destination

“We are fighting using different means but we are headed in the same destination... that destination is the increase of allowances for the teachers,” he said.

It took the intervention of newly-elected association chairman John Awiti to resolve the disagreement.

“The matter of strike needs to handled with sobriety,” Mr Awiti said.

The school heads are in Mombasa for their 38th annual conference under the theme of “Transforming Teacher Management”.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi, while officially opening the conference, said the unions had raised issues that “made sense and that the government was committed to addressing them.”
Kuppet is demanding teachers’ allowances — commuter, leave and responsibility — to be at par with those of other public servants, while Knut is demanding an implementation of an agreement signed between the union and the government, commonly referred to as Legal Notice 534 of 1997.

The agreement, which has not been honoured since then, would increase the same allowances. This will see the lowest paid teacher take home Sh8,346 in house allowance, up from Sh3,000 while the highest paid will earn Sh54,544, up from the current Sh15,000. Medical and commuter allowances will also be increased.

“I understand the urgency to pay the teachers. We will go out of our way. Although we will not employ the 80,000 teachers that you are demanding, I can assure you that we will employ teachers,” Prof Kaimenyi said.

In most areas, the Kuppet strike was low-key with only a handful of teachers taking part.

In Bungoma, confusion reigned in most schools with teachers divided on whether to teach or join the strike.

Most teachers who spoke to the Nation said they were yet to receive official communication on the strike. Kuppet Bungoma County officials went around the schools mobilising teachers to join in the strike. In Thika, Nairobi and Kisumu, learning went on smoothly.

In Nairobi, Kuppet officials said their strike would continue until their demands were met.

At the Mombasa conference, secondary school students asked the government to address teachers’ demands to avert a national strike.

“We cannot achieve quality education in our schools,” Students Council chairman Churchill Vigil told the ongoing teachers’ conference.

The Form Four student at Liloch Secondary School in Kericho also asked the government to increase bursary allocation.

“There are many bright students who are unable to further their education because of lack of funds,” he said.

—Reported by Caroline Wafula, Benjamin Muindi, Peter Obuya, Rebbecca Okwany, Oliver Musembi, Fiona Mukuriah, Mercy Ngei, Ramenya Gibendi, Moses Odhiambo and Maryanne Wanja.