Teachers’ Service Commission faulted on salaries move

Mbeere North MP Muriuki Njagagua Monday criticised the move by the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) to deduct salaries of teachers who are members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
Njagagua argued that according to International Labour Organisation laws once a salary has been fixed it cannot be scaled downwards.
The MP who was speaking at Ciangera Secondary School in Ishiara ward of Mbeere North while commissioning the school laboratory, also lamented that TSC was quick to act on a court ruling three weeks ago on teachers’ Career Progressing Guidelines in favour of KNUT while it has been dragging its feet to honour court ruling directing paying 1997 retirees.
“The money for teachers was factored in the budget estimates hence money is available, then where does the TSC want to take teachers’ money?” he wondered.
Njagagua was reacting to the decision by TSC leaving out Knut affiliated teachers out of the third phase of the Sh13 billion salary increments.
Some 103,624 teachers, including head teachers, deputy head teachers and senior teachers, will lose the benefits they earned previously under the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) and have their new job grades reversed.
Further, the affected teachers will be expected to refund previously enhanced salaries and allowances that they have enjoyed since July 1, 2017.
The legislator also wants investigations carried out to establish why pupils from Mbeere North who were supposed to go for national music festival at Kabarak University were never taken.
“Every pupil contributes Sh30 for co-curricular activities, where is the money that was to take these learners to Kabarak University for national music festivals; we demand thorough investigations to be done,” Njagagua noted.
Commenting on the issue of a teacher at Rianjeru primary school in Mbeere North who was presented in court last week for defiling four pupils, Njagagua has tasked TSC and other relevant authorities to act swiftly to ensure the law takes its course.
“It is very bad for a trained teacher to engage in such a heinous act with his learner hence it is not enough for such a teacher to be interdicted but he must also face the full force of the law,” he added.
Speaker of County Assembly Josiah Thiriku who is the chairman of the school Board of Management commended the MP for donating Sh 3 million for the school laboratory.
Thiriku also decried the failure of regional bodies to take teachers and pupils who have been practicing for national music festivals despite government and parents contributing towards the same and demanded investigations and action be taken about the anomaly.
By Kimani Tirus