Budgets for Parliament, Judiciary, Executive should be cut to pay teachers, says Duale
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi (right) and Majority Leader Aden Duale on September 14, 2015 at the fifth National Assembly Leadership Retreat at the Serena Beach Resort in Mombasa County. Mr Duale has asked MPs, senators and governors to slash their salaries for the sake of resolving the pay row between teachers and the Teachers Service Commission. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Speaking in Mombasa during a parliamentary retreat, Mr Duale dismissed suggestion that parliament should be recalled to debate the teachers strike saying that the move would be pointless as it could not end the deadlock.
- Two MPs from Central Kenya, Mukurwe-ini’s Kabando wa Kabando and Kirinyaga Central’s Joseph Gitari had written to Mr Duale asking him to request Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi to recall the House to discuss ways of ending the teachers’ strike.
Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive should have their budgets cut to pay for teachers’ salary raise, Aden Duale has recommended.
Mr Duale, the majority leader in the National Assembly, said his proposal to cut budgets across the three branches of government was informed by the government’s lack of the Sh17 billion required to effect the teachers’ pay increase.
“When the President says there is no money, there is no money. Let every MP donate a certain portion of CDF, then we ask the Judiciary, the Executive and the Parliamentary Service Commission, and the teachers of Kenya will get Sh17 billion. If you want us to give teachers money all of us should sit together and I am sure we can raise the money,” said Mr Duale.
Speaking in Mombasa during a parliamentary retreat, Mr Duale dismissed suggestions that Parliament should be recalled to debate the teachers' strike, saying that the move would be pointless as it could not end the deadlock.
TALKS URGED
“The only way Parliament can be recalled is if Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich tells me that he has the supplementary budget for teachers,” he added.
Two MPs from central Kenya, Mukurwe-ini’s Kabando wa Kabando and Kirinyaga Central’s Joseph Gitari, had written to Mr Duale asking him to request National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to recall the House to discuss ways of ending the teachers’ strike.
Mr Duale asked the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Teachers Service Commission to meet and try to come up with an agreement that could see teachers return to class.
He also asked teachers to seek the input of Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) as it is mandated by law to set salaries and allowances of all public officials.
