A new bill before Parliament aims to change the way the Teachers Service Commission operates by making commissioners serve on a part-time basis rather than full-time. Advocates say the move will cut public spending while giving teachers at all levels a stronger say in who represents them.
The proposal, outlined in the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is sponsored by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa and seeks to amend the TSC Act, potentially saving the government up to Sh70 million in the first year.
During a presentation to the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriation Committee, Barasa explained that the bill also intends to repeal section 6 (3) of the parent Act.
“There is a lot of interference with the work of the secretariat, which has a team of competent people, and the commissioners do not have to sit from Monday to Thursday and January to December. We must look at how TSC is constituted,” he told the committee, which is chaired by Molo MP Kimani Kuria.
Barasa emphasised that teachers from primary and secondary schools, as well as lecturers from tertiary institutions and TVETs, should be able to choose representatives for the commission.
“I am saying through the Bill that primary school teachers should elect someone to sit at the commission, and so is the case for secondary, lecturers and TVETs so that there is fairness in the management of teachers,” he said.
The MP added that the measure would help ensure teachers are treated with dignity.
“We want to serve our teachers with dignity, and this can only be done if their leaders are in that seat. Parliament will be unfair if we do not enact this law. Let us not trivialise the work TSC does,” he said.
Financial projections show that shifting commissioners to part-time could generate substantial savings.
“It is estimated that an expenditure variation of Sh71.6 million will be realised in year one when the terms of service of the Members of TSC is converted to part time from fulltime upon enactment of this legislative proposal,” Barasa said.
He added that these savings are expected to rise to Sh75.2 million in year two and Sh78.9 million in year three.
Under the proposed arrangement, commissioners would earn allowances for their service instead of fixed monthly salaries.
Full-time commissioners currently draw Sh650,000 monthly, while the chairperson earns Sh765,000, in addition to benefits such as medical cover, official transport, car loans, mortgages, airtime allowance, and a service gratuity.
“The financial implications of the proposed bill are based on key assumptions that the commissioner serving on a part-time basis will hold at least six sittings every financial year (based on provisions of the TSC Act).”
Sitting allowances will be Sh40,000 per member and Sh50,000 for the chairperson.
