Wage Crisis: Kenya's National Teachers Commission twice in contempt
September 7 2015 By Abi Giwa
Members of Kenya Teachers Union demonstrate in Nairobi (Courtesy: Kenya's Daily Nation)
"The Court of Appeal had ordered the TSC to start paying the enhanced salaries beginning last month, pending the hearing and determination of TSC’s appeal.
However, the commission, claims that until the next Budget, an excess of Sh17 billion will immediately be required to pay the enhanced salaries yet it does not have the funds."
The above is the last two paragraphs from Kenya's Daily Nation's report on the current wage crisis between Kenya teachers and the Kenya Teachers's Commission, TSC.
The excuse the TSC has given for its non-respect of an earlier court ruling and a court of appeal ruling that ordered it to begin paying the teachers court ordered wages is that it has to wait until the next budget to meet the excess Sh17b needed to pay the teachers.
The TSC is obviously in contempt of two court rulings. The first is the Labour Court, where the original order emanated and the Appeal Court, where the TSC has gone to seek time before it will start paying the new wages after it may have succeeded sourcing money for it. But the Court of Appeal told the TSC to begin the payment in August, while its application is pending in the court. But the TSC
While the crisis festers, President Uhuru Kenyatta is silent. Doesn't he know the important role teachers play in the country? Didn't he go through four walls of a classroom? Does he think leaving the crisis for the TSC to resolve on its own has no image implication on his government and his country as dis respecters of court ruling and law breakers? Hasn't he been told that The TSC is already in contempt of court twice? When will African countries begin to give teachers their due?
The path of silence Kenyatta has chosen is a moral equivalent of Nero fiddling while Rome burns, especially now that the teachers have taken to the street to demonstrate its successes in the court rooms and the country's leaders shameless keep silent.
However, the commission, claims that until the next Budget, an excess of Sh17 billion will immediately be required to pay the enhanced salaries yet it does not have the funds."
The above is the last two paragraphs from Kenya's Daily Nation's report on the current wage crisis between Kenya teachers and the Kenya Teachers's Commission, TSC.
The excuse the TSC has given for its non-respect of an earlier court ruling and a court of appeal ruling that ordered it to begin paying the teachers court ordered wages is that it has to wait until the next budget to meet the excess Sh17b needed to pay the teachers.
The TSC is obviously in contempt of two court rulings. The first is the Labour Court, where the original order emanated and the Appeal Court, where the TSC has gone to seek time before it will start paying the new wages after it may have succeeded sourcing money for it. But the Court of Appeal told the TSC to begin the payment in August, while its application is pending in the court. But the TSC
While the crisis festers, President Uhuru Kenyatta is silent. Doesn't he know the important role teachers play in the country? Didn't he go through four walls of a classroom? Does he think leaving the crisis for the TSC to resolve on its own has no image implication on his government and his country as dis respecters of court ruling and law breakers? Hasn't he been told that The TSC is already in contempt of court twice? When will African countries begin to give teachers their due?
The path of silence Kenyatta has chosen is a moral equivalent of Nero fiddling while Rome burns, especially now that the teachers have taken to the street to demonstrate its successes in the court rooms and the country's leaders shameless keep silent.
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