Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha has responded to the demands by teachers for a 60 percent salary increase as per the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Magoha responds to teachers on salary increase
Prof Magoha, who is leaving office in 17 days, said he has done his best
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While inspecting the construction of the second phase of competency-based curriculum (CBC) classes in the Coastal counties of Mombasa and Kilifi, CS Magoha said the government was already stretching its budget to fund the education sector and the call for the pay rise was unrealistic and was politically driven.
“I can tell you that their demand is mostly unreasonable because the government is spending 25.9 percent of the national budget on education. Let us not pretend and politicize everything. There’s no way the government can give teachers a 60 percent salary increment, but you see I am speaking as a spectator that question should be directed to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT),” said Prof Magoha.
The CS said that although teachers were entitled to a pay rise, government coffers were not in a position to give what the tutors were demanding urging them to abandon the call for the rise and instead shift attention to streamlining the education sector.
The CS further responded to the allegations of misappropriation of funds in the ministry saying the budget allocated for projects did even more than it was set for.
“I stopped the leakage of public funds from Jogoo House. When the Auditor-General sends questions to our department, we answer them and when we are called to Parliament, we also provide answers. Parliament and the Auditor-General have all the answers that we provided. Do you think government money can be stolen under my watch?” Magoha retorted.
The CS who is leaving office in barely three weeks reiterated that the education ministry has done great under his tenure quashing critics who said the ministry has been chaotic under his watch.
“Everywhere I have been from the chair of the Academic Department of surgery I constructed successfully, I have done my best and if my best is not good enough for you, look for someone who can do better,” he noted.
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