Teachers, university lecturers, prison staff, and police officers are set to benefit from an additional Sh88 billion budget that the National Treasury has proposed to the National Assembly for approval.
The 2024-2025 second supplementary budget estimates indicate that Sh68 billion has been allocated for ministerial expenditure, with Sh24.7 billion set aside for recurrent costs and Sh43 billion for development projects.
The new funding seeks to address long-standing salary demands and resolve insurance issues that have left many teachers and police officers unable to access medical services due to unpaid debts.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been allocated Sh17 billion, making it the largest recipient of the additional funds. Of this amount, Sh10 billion will be used for salary adjustments, while Sh6.9 billion will go towards increasing basic salaries. Additionally, Sh4.7 billion has been set aside to cover teachers’ mandatory health insurance contributions.
The allocation for insurance comes in response to complaints from teachers who were turned away from hospitals due to unpaid insurance premiums, with claims that their employer had failed to remit capitation funds. The National Police Service, which has also faced similar challenges, has been allocated an extra Sh5 billion to cover medical insurance.
An additional Sh2.1 billion has been set aside for international peacekeeping operations, particularly for the Kenyan police deployment to Haiti. University lecturers and non-teaching staff will also receive long-awaited salary adjustments. The Higher Education Department has been allocated Sh6.5 billion, with Sh4.3 billion specifically meant to settle outstanding payments under the 2021-2024 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The Treasury has also allocated extra funds to cater to prison officers, ensuring that security personnel across various departments receive better compensation. If approved by the National Assembly, the new budget allocations will provide relief to thousands of public servants who have been pushing for better pay and improved working conditions.
