Retired teachers to get pay, pension arrears by Christmas

What you need to know:

A State Counsel told the High Court in Nakuru that the government was ready to release the Sh16.7 billion pension arrears.
The court deferred imposition of a six-month contempt of court jail term against TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni.

Thousands of retired teachers who have been waiting for salary and pension arrears for 17 years got relief on Monday after the Government told a court it was ready to pay them Sh16.7 billion before Christmas this year.

Justice Anyara Emukule set the matter for mention on December 18 when the government will confirm progress made in releasing the payment.

The court also deferred imposition of a six-month contempt of court jail term against Teachers Service Commission Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni over the unpaid lumpsum amounts owed to the former teachers.

READ: Retired teachers ask court to jail TSC chief for contempt.

State Counsel Cavin Anyuor told the High Court in Nakuru that the government was ready to release the Sh16.7 billion pension arrears, a move that has already been authorised by the Controller of Budget.

“The payment is part of the agreements made on November 20 this year during a meeting with all senior officers from all the relevant departments, including the office of the Director of Pensions, TSC, Attorney General and the Auditor General’s Office,” he said.

He told the court that the Controller of Budget has submitted a report on the proposed payment to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education to be tabled in the National Assembly.

The Retired Teachers of 1997 Group had sued TSC in 2006 claiming unpaid lumpsum salary increments and accrued pensions from July 1997.

They won the case before Nakuru High Court Judge Mr Justice David Maraga when the court ordered that all retired teachers covered by the agreement dated October 11, 1997 between the TSC and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) were entitled to their retirement benefits based on the entire salary increment contained in that agreement.

TSC appealed against the judgement but the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the former teachers who are claiming Sh42.3 billion in arrears.

After a protracted court battle with TSC, the Court of Appeal ordered the commission to release Sh16.7 billion to retired teachers on November 2010 being part of the unpaid pension.