The Ministry of Education has blamed school heads over the delayed payment for teachers employed by the Boards of Managements, BOMs. According The Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry of Education, Zack Kinuthia, schools heads presented bloated figures on numbers of BOM teachers; conflicting with that from the Teachers Service Commission, TSC.
The BOM teachers and staff have now gone for close to 6 weeks without pay; since schools were closed due to covid-19 outbreak in the country.
The Ministry has produced verified lists of BOM teachers. Kinuthia says the funds will be released once the checks are completed.
Despite promises that the Free Education Funds will be released to schools; as at today, no funds have been disbursed to the accounts that have now run dry.
Here is the presser by CAS Kinuthia;
“It is regrettable that we have not fulfilled the President’s directive to have you paid in time.
This cannot be justified fully, except that it has been out of a more disastrous possibility that would have befallen the entire program had this been done without utmost due diligence.
Let me say the following,
Money is available at the National Treasury, and awaiting a click of a button to disburse to schools for payment.
What is holding the money is the Unverified data that was submitted to us from the field, vis-a-viz the data we have with the Commission.
From the onset, I want to say that we received a humongous list from the field, including teachers who are not enrolled with TSC. This means, Heads of Schools sent untrue, or illegitimate data, which meant that money would have gone to the wrong people, or more people than is the reality, denying the genuine beneficiaries the right.
By today (Friday August 21, 2020), Verification of all data was at an advanced stage. I was assured that it will be complete and I, duly briefed by close of business Tuesday.
This means, that I can only authoritatively say money will be deposited to your pocket by a certain date, once I see the final clean and clear data.
However, this is not to say that the time will be indefinite.
It will be sooner than you think after Tuesday (August 25, 2020).
I undertook to explain this to you, so that I am not seen as insensitive to you. I have heard your cries. I have read your painful stories out of over 4 months without pay.
I have been walking with you in this journey. And I won’t abandon you until you’re paid all the way to when we shall resume learning.
Please understand. And walk with me through.
This is more of concern to me, because over 90% of these teachers are Youth like I am. And I can’t be comfortable and restful while you wallow in distress.
As I have consistently said, President Kenyatta’s is a sensitive Government to the concerns of the citizens. We would be losing it, if we did not owe you Information of what is happening.
He is following daily on this matter.”
