The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has dismissed media reports which had indicated that Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) teachers are set to earn lower salaries than the minimum wage capped at Ksh.15,120 following a proposed salary structure.
In a statement on Tuesday, SRC termed the reports as deceiving.
The commission says that the authors of the claims used basic pay instead of the gross salary to calculate what ECDE teachers will be taking home if the salary changes are implemented.
“The reports were based on basic salary instead of the gross salary, and thus, misleading. SRC hereby clarifies that in December 2021, it advised a gross remuneration for the lowest cadre of ECDE teachers based in Nairobi (Cluster 1) receiving between Ksh. 14,961 and Ksh. 15,842, while those in Cluster 4 (other areas) receiving between Ksh.13,211 and Ksh.14,092,” read the SRC statement.
“This advice considered affordability and fiscal sustainability of the wage bill for county governments. Upon a request from county governments, SRC issued a clarification on 13 January 2023 reiterating its earlier position on the remuneration and benefits of ECDE teachers.”
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SRC says that it is currently reviewing the remuneration for all public officers, including ECDE teachers, under the third remuneration review cycle, and which shall be issued by June 2023.
“In line with our mandate of setting, reviewing and advising on the remuneration and benefits in the public service, SRC will continue to engage and respond to stakeholders on the matter, as appropriate,” said SRC.
“We deny the recommendations from SRC to governors and we say that nursery teachers will not be despised and we are here to fight for the rights of every ECDE teacher.”
