New CS to Increase Salary of Teachers by January
The government has revealed that there are plans in place to increase salaries for civil servants in the coming 100 days.
According to the Public Service Affirmative Action and Gender Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aisha Jumwa, a technical committee will be formed that will review and make recommendations for the appropriate pay rise.
“Civil servants are a demoralized lot and we do not want them to suffer. They are unable to cope with the high cost of living occasioned by runaway inflation. As Kenya Kwanza Government, we want to revamp their morale by increasing their salaries as soon as possible.
“I am a leader and a mother too. I know a majority of public servants are grappling to pay school fees for their children, pay rent and fend for their families. It is a sad state of affairs but I have come to solve the problem so that they can live a dignified life,” said Aisha Jumwa.
According to the CS, if public servants are well remunerated, there will be no corruption cases.
There are more than 923,000 public servants in Kenya whose wage bill is at Kshs. 890 billion annually.
The National Treasury has been finding it difficult to raise to cater for the bloated wage bill that consumes more than half of the country’s budget, hindering the completion of development projects.
The CS’s pledge comes amid the International Monetary Fund’s push for the government to cut jobs and reduce the wage bill.
However, Jumwa underscored that the wage bill is manageable and that there is enough money to cater for the salary increment.
“We have 900,000 people working for 50 million Kenyans. Who said we have a bloated wage bill? The country has enough money to give the public servants a pay rise and carry on with its development agenda,” said Jumwa after touring and inspecting the Nairobi Huduma Centre.
This latest news is set to renew teachers’ efforts of revising the non-monetary Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was signed with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Through the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), teachers are demanding a 60 per cent pay rise and they want this implemented immediately.
“We have begun a structured negotiation with the employer to see to it that 1 60% salary rise is awarded to teachers,” said Collins Oyuu.
Oyuu implored all stakeholders to conduct a review of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement which was signed with no monetary benefits.
“The human resource benefits are both to the teacher, the employer and everyone in this profession,” said Collins Oyuu.
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