TSC Budget Expectation Vs What They Got, How Teachers Are Going To Benefit

On Thursday, April 7, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani, presented the budget estimates for the Financial Year 2022/2023 two months earlier than traditional time, paving the way for lawmakers to approve expenditure before their term ends ahead of the August 9 general elections.

According to Yatani’s Ksh3.3 trillion budget, the largest in Kenya’s history, having grown by Ksh200 billion from the 2021/2022 Financial Year one. The budget saw education, transport, security, and devolution sectors were given priority.

The Education sector received the largest share after it was allocated Ksh544.4 billion. This accounts for 16.48 percent of the national budget

The money will be used to fund projects such as Free Primary Education and Free Day Secondary Education including National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) insurance cover for secondary school learners

Recruitment of teachers, examinations fee waiver for Grade Six, Standard Eight and Form Four candidates, the school feeding program, and training of teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) are some of the programs that will be funded by half-a a trillion budget allocated to George Magoha’s Ministry.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated Sh2.5 billion for the recruitment of teachers in Kenya. This was an increase since last year TSC received Sh281.7 billion.

TSC boss Nancy Macharia had requested some Sh5.3 billion to recruit 8,000 teachers for the 100 percent transition. Dr. Macharia also told the Education Committee that it will require Sh1.2 billion to recruit 6,000 interns.

TSC had also requested 2 billion shillings for the promotion of teachers on completive selection. TSC has been promoting teachers to various cadres in line with the Career Progressive Guideline

Free day secondary education has been given Sh64.4 billion, which would also cover NHIF cover for students. A further Sh5 billion has been set aside to cater for examination fees waiver for Grade 6, Class 8, and Form 4 candidates.

While delivering the budget statement in parliament yesterday, National Treasury CS Ukur Yatani pointed out that the school feeding program has been allocated Sh1.96 billion. Some Sh1.2 billion has been allocated to cater for the training of teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

The digital literacy program received Sh310 million and ICT integration in secondary schools. Between 2012 and 2020, according to CS Yatani, considerable investment in education has resulted in an increase in the number of primary schools from 26,549 to 32,437, and high schools from 7,174 to 10,413

“We are committed to providing access to quality education for our children and youth. This will facilitate the realization of their full potential and enable them to effectively contribute to the development of the country” said Yatani.

Other expenditure commitments in the education sector include Sh91.2 billion for university education and Sh1.8 billion for the development and equipping of TVETs and vocational training institutes.

Simultaneously, Sh2.8 billion was set aside to support the development of school facilities in both primary and secondary schools as students progress to junior secondary.

This year’s budget includes an additional Sh527 million for technical vocational education training and entrepreneurship, as well as Sh323 million for the national research fund.

Yesterday’s proposal by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to allocate UHC sh62.3 billion saw it up from Sh47.7 billion in the last financial year. UHC is one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy projects as he exists after the August 9 polls.