MPs Push for Better Teacher Welfare as TSC Gets Sh422 Billion in 2026/27 Budget

The National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee has intensified scrutiny of the education sector budget, raising concerns over teacher welfare, school funding gaps and implementation challenges under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

The committee, chaired by Samuel Atandi, received submissions from the Departmental Committee on Education, the Parliamentary Service Commission and the Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation during review of the proposed Sh4.82 trillion national budget estimates for the 2026/27 Financial Year.

Lawmakers heard that the Teachers Service Commission has been allocated a proposed Sh422 billion budget aimed at promoting at least 30,000 teachers, converting 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms, retraining 120,000 teachers on CBE and implementing the second phase of the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Despite the increased allocation, MPs raised concern over unresolved welfare issues affecting teachers, particularly delayed pension payments and the absence of insurance cover provisions.

Members noted that there is currently no budgetary allocation for group life insurance, group personal accident cover and Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) protection for teachers, which requires an estimated Sh5.3 billion.

Lawmakers argued that savings of nearly Sh4 billion annually realized after teachers’ medical cover was moved from private insurers to the Social Health Authority should now be redirected toward strengthening teachers’ insurance protection.

The committee also expressed concern over persistent funding gaps in the education sector despite education consuming the largest share of the national budget.

Speaking before the committee, Julius Melly said capitation remains one of the biggest challenges facing schools across the country.

“Basic education is a sector that has the largest resource allocation. We have capitation figures in secondary education of about Sh54 billion, junior secondary around Sh30 billion and primary education around Sh7 billion,” said Hon. Melly.

The State Department for Basic Education has been allocated Sh135.3 billion to support primary, junior and senior schools, school feeding programmes, examinations, quality assurance and infrastructure development.

MPs also questioned the current school placement system, saying some schools continue to admit students beyond their capacity while others remain underutilized despite massive government investment.

The Budget Committee backed proposals by the Education Committee to review the school feeding programme through fresh mapping of beneficiary regions and inclusion of learners with special needs.

“To ensure inclusivity, NACONEK should reassess and remap all regions targeted to benefit from the school meals programme and develop policy guidelines on inclusion of Special Needs Education learners,” the committee recommended.

Lawmakers further supported direct disbursement of co-curricular funds to schools through capitation in a bid to eliminate delays affecting sports, music and arts programmes under CBE.

Meanwhile, the State Department for Higher Education has been allocated Sh164.1 billion even as concerns remain over scholarship funding under the new university financing model.

On technical education, MPs welcomed the increase in TVET capitation from Sh3.5 billion to over Sh9 billion, saying the move would boost enrolment and improve access to technical training institutions.

“This time it has been raised to over Sh9 billion for TVET students, and this is actually to ensure that they go back to colleges and we are able to fund them,” said John Chikati.

The Education Committee also recommended a nationwide audit of equipment in TVET institutions within six months to facilitate redistribution of idle machinery to under-equipped institutions.

Additional allocations were proposed for quality assurance, stakeholder engagements by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, special needs education assessment centres and completion of the assistive devices factory targeting learners with disabilities.

Lawmakers maintained that strengthening education financing remains key to successful implementation of CBE, expansion of higher education access and improvement of teacher welfare across the country.

In a separate session, the Parliamentary Service Commission appeared before the Budget and Appropriations Committee led by Commissioner Johnson Muthama and Commissioner Rachel Ameso alongside senior parliamentary officials.