TSC allocated Sh119 billion to run affairs

The teachers’ employer will get an extra Sh3 billion to run its operations in the next financial year.

According to the budget policy statement released last week, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated Sh119 billion, up from Sh116 billion given for the current financial year.

The bulk of the money — Sh81.2 billion — will go towards meeting the basic salaries of teachers and TSC staff while an additional Sh37.4 billion will be for their personal allowances.

The parliamentary budget committee, which is charged with the task of formulating the policy statement is set to meet on Thursday to scrutinise the TSC budget to determine how much funds will be allocated to specific functions such as the recruitment of new teachers and the salary increments.

“The budget committee’s meeting is on Thursday to dissect the figures so that we know exactly how much is going towards recruiting more teachers, salary increments and so on. That is when I will be able to comment on the figures,” the committee’s chairman Elias Mbau said on Monday.

The committee has proposed that Sh13.6 billion be set aside for the recruitment of 40,000 new teachers.

In their report on the budget policy statement tabled in Parliament last week, the MPs also proposed a further Sh2.1 billion for teachers’ promotions in the next one year as well as Sh5.3 billion to employ nursery school teachers.

The committee has proposed that Sh200 million be channelled towards the automation of records at the commission.

Knut chairman Wilson Sossion declined to comment on the estimates, saying he was yet to scrutinise the document.

“We want to get the exact figures from the ministry because from the estimates released, it is very difficult to pinpoint whether there is anything for salary increments,” he said.