Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has taken a strong stand against what he termed the “persistent and systemic non-payment” of teachers’ allowances, calling the situation both unjust and humiliating.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Sifuna demanded an urgent statement from the Senate Committee on Education regarding the delayed payments owed to teachers who supervised extracurricular activities and national examinations.
“It has become humiliating for teachers to accompany students to sports and other extracurricular activities without receiving their rightful allowances,” Sifuna declared.
He described how teachers, despite their commitment to nurturing students’ talent and discipline, were left to fend for themselves while students were fully supported.
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“Teachers are expected to perform miracles on empty pockets. They mentor our children, yet the system treats them like afterthoughts,” he said.
The senator cited recent examples, including the East African Secondary School Games in Kakamega and the Drama and Music Festivals in Kampala, both held in August 2025, where teachers had yet to receive their allowances months later.
“These allowances remain unpaid even after teachers have diligently fulfilled their duties. It is unacceptable that educators have to beg for what is rightfully theirs,” Sifuna added.
He demanded that the Ministry of Education explain the reasons behind the delays and provide a definitive timeline for payment.
“We cannot preach about valuing education while the very people who sustain it are treated with indignity,” he stressed.
“The Ministry must act — not with promises, but with payments.”
Several senators backed Sifuna’s call, urging the government to institutionalise prompt compensation mechanisms to prevent recurring delays.
“When we starve teachers of their dues, we undermine the spirit of service that holds our schools together,” Sifuna concluded.
“It’s time to restore respect to the profession that shapes every other profession.”
By Joseph Mambili
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