Top education officials are under pressure to fullfill a promise made to BOM teachers. Education CS Prof. George Magoha was the the first one to be under attack following his recent TV comment that BOM teachers have been paid.
Following CS Magoha’s statement teachers and politicians launched a successive outbursts wanting him to account for the BOM teachers he claims to have been paid.
Some politicians including Boni Khalwale and Embakasi East MP Mr Paul Ongili popularly known as Babu Owino weighed in on the matter.
Posting on facebook the two pushed Magoha to make public the BOM teachers purported to have been paid.
“CS Magoha should come out clear on the BOM teachers he has paid,” posted Boni Khalwale.
“Dear CS Prof. George Omore Magoha, pls check your facts first before hitting the media. You said BOM teachers have been paid. They say, NOT YET. These teachers are suffering. I am informed many have been thrown out of their houses. Some have run into depression. Lying is not good,” tweeted Philip Etale who is also Director of Communications – ODM.
“Board of Management teachers haven’t been paid and are really suffering/languishing in abject poverty. Prof. Magoha should treat this as very urgent and important,” posted Babu Owino on his Facebook page.
Yesterday social media was awash with similar grievances and anger. BOM teachers took to various platforms to express their disatisfiers, some wrote a petition addressing it to the Ministry of education.
However it is an interview of BOM teachers and Citizen TV to highlight on their plight that led to some top Ministry officials to respond on the whereabouts of the monies which was allocated for through a circular to pay BOM teachers and support staff. Watch the video below of Mr Oyoo a BOM teacher who was interviewed by Citizen TV that led the Education CAS Zack Kinuthia to respond.
Immediately the story was aired yesterday the Education CAS Zack Kinuthia came out and made a promise to follow on the matter which he said has sailed through storms and whats remaining is only to deposit the money into the teachers pockets.
Two weeks ago the ministry of education said kshs Sh15.4 billion had been released to enable public schools prepare for reopening in January.
Of these, Sh13.3 the ministry said will go towards arrangements for social distance, hand washing and purchase of thermo-guns in schools while Sh2.2 billion will pay salaries of teachers employed by the Boards of Management (BoM) and non-teaching staff, such as watchmen.
The vote head sent to school heads showed that BOM teachers are to be paid a stipend of kshs. 10,000 monthly starting August to December 2020.
The circular sent to school heads for Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) funds captured the following on BOM teachers.
2.0 PAYMENT OF SALARIES TO SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
In January 2020, the Ministry of Education released 50% 0f FDSE funds to schools.
These funds included P.E funds up to June 2020. In this regard, Ksh. 3,226 per learner should be utilized in the payment of salaries to non-teaching staff, water and electricity bills as well as administrative costs up to December 2020.
Tuition Account
| Item | School | Retained | Total Amount |
| BOM teachers | 0.00 | 750.00 | 750.00 |
4.0 PAYMENT OF BOM TEACHERS
The Ministry of Education will support teachers employed by the Boards of Management (B0Ms) as at 15th March 2020 for five months only from August to December 2020 by paying them Ksh 10,000.0 per month.
Each teacher must sign for the money personally and records kept for later auditing Payment should be made monthly and not in advance.
Schools with BOM teachers will receive a separate commensurate disbursement based on the data obtained from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in to their operation account
The latest promise by the CAS Education that he will follow it up starting today is interesting as BOM teachers still wait earnestly for the monies so they can pay their bills.