Regions To Be Scrapped As Hardship Areas. The administration has recommended eliminating hardship allowances in regions that have evolved over time and should no longer be classified as hardship zones.
A study to examine hardship allowances is scheduled to be brought in parliament for consideration in the next week, which has alarmed teachers in hard-hit areas.
Representatives from the Ministries of Public Service and Gender, the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury and Planning, the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Teachers Services Commission (TSC), the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the Council of Governors, the Commission on Revenue Allocation, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and the judiciary approved the removal of the hardship.
The research divides regions into three categories: extreme hardship, average hardship, and little hardship, which allows the government to stop paying hardship allowances after the areas have been improved.
This came after a petition was submitted to the National Assembly and read by Speaker Hon. Moses Wetangula yesterday on behalf of a member of the public regarding the designation of Rachuonyo North Constituency as a hardship area.
The petition claimed that Rachuonyo North Sub-County is impoverished and that local schools are poorly understaffed, with low student attendance.
Furthermore, teachers in Karachuonyo North are still not receiving hardship payments. This is despite the fact that teachers in adjacent districts are receiving them.
To encourage teachers and enhance education in difficult locations, the petition recommends that the National Assembly consider the criteria for identifying hardship areas. Members of Parliament (MPs) supported the petition, stating that there should be a defined guideline for determining hardship zones.
Regions To Be Scrapped As Hardship Areas
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has designated the following locations as the official Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) and hard-to-staff zones:
- West Pokot County
- Wajir County
- Turkana County
- Tana River County
- Taita Taveta County
- Samburu County
- Narok County has two subcounties: Narok South and Narok North.
- Mumoni, Mutito North, and Tseikuru Sub-counties
- Marsabit County
- Mandera County
- Lamu County
- Magarini and Ganze,
- Kilifi County
- Kwale County
- Kajiado County’s subcounties include Mashuuru, Loitoktok, and Kajiado West.
- Isiolo County Suba and Mbita Sub-Counties of Homabay County
- Garissa County
- Baringo North (Tiaty East, Tiaty West, and Marigat Sub-Counties).
However, not all locations in the list above are now receiving hardship allowance because not all sub-counties in the mentioned counties are actually classified as hardship areas.
The locations indicated for hardship allowance payments are Nyando, Chonyi, Lungalunga, Suba, sections of Nandi, Samburu and Kinango, Tana River, and Taita Taveta.
The World Bank has advised Kenya’s government to remove hardship benefits in order to save Kes. 3 billion. This will get the economy back on track after the increased spending caused by the global coronavirus outbreak.
The World Bank contended that public officers who received generous allowances were working in locations classified as difficult decades ago. However that has since been improved. They no longer qualify for the hardship label.
Review Of Hardship Areas For Teachers
“The review of hardship zones is needed. This is because several regions have developed their infrastructure and social amenities over the last two decades.They are no longer classified as hardship areas,” stated a World Bank report on Kenya Public Expenditure evaluation.
The action will result in a fall in teachers’ salaries. Most teachers have already committed their pay stubs, thus reducing their borrowing ability.
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