No August Salary Increment For Teachers and Civil Servants Without Finance Act
No August Salary Increment For Teachers and Civil Servants Without Finance Act. The fate of salary increases for teachers and civil servants in August will be heavily influenced by the Court’s decision on Finance Act 2023 next week.
The decision by three judges will be rendered on August 13, 2023, and will determine whether the government will implement President Ruto’s salary boost order for public personnel.
Teachers and civil servants can receive a pay increase in August, with arrears backdated to July 1st.
Despite the suspension of the Act, the Court of Appeal lifted a conservatory order on the Finance Act, clearing the path for its implementation.
The order will have irrevocable economic implications, according to Justices Mohamed Warsame, Kathurima M’inoti, and Hedwig Omondi.
“The upshot of our decision is that the application has merit and that the same is allowed as prayed with the effect that the order made on 10th July 2023 suspending the Finance Act 2023, and the order prohibiting the implementation of the Finance Act 2023, be and is hereby lifted pending the hearing and determination of the appeal,” the judges ruled Friday.
The justices determined that the act cannot be postponed permanently because of the implications it will have on already-crippled revenue and government spending.
The justices, however, stated in their verdict that all parties must abide by the final outcome of the appeal, which will be announced next week.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal, challenging the Finance Act.
President William Ruto announced a pay increase of 7% to 10% for teachers and federal officials in order to cushion public servants from the hard economic conditions.
Dr. Ruto directed that the compensation increase take effect on July 1, 2023. This meant that teachers and civil officials would be paid new salary commencing at the end of July, when the July salaries were due.
The July non-payment, on the other hand, was attributed to delays in computing the increments by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Following the conclusion of the public engagement exercise, the SRC completed the compensation review.
The commission will publish the new salary so that government agencies such as the TSC and the Public Service Commission (PSC) can implement the raise.
“The most essential factor is the increase’s effective date. Even if they do not receive the increase this month, they will receive it later, taking into account the month of July,” according to an SRC source.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) stated, however, that the July salary increase for teachers was contingent on the approval of the Finance Act 2023.
The implementation of the Finance Act 2023, according to Kuppet Secretary-General Akello Misori, will determine teacher salary increases.
He did, however, blame both the SRC and the TSC for failing to reach an agreement in time, causing teachers to miss their July raise.
Mr Misori stated that Kuppet and SRC met with Dr Ruto at State House in May for a five-hour “consultative meeting,” during which the President guaranteed authorities that teachers would receive a minimum 10% wage increase “upon the passage of the 2023-2024 Finance Bill.”
“This is unfortunate because we may be surprised to learn that it is not 10% or 12% as we expected; this means we have been duped,” he remarked.