Siaya teachers strongly oppose the proposed Finance bill

Siaya, Sunday May 14, 2023

KNA by Philip Onyango

Teachers in Siaya will be forced to storm  the County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) offices, to demand back their money, should the Government force Parliament, to pass the Finance Bill that, among other things, imposes a three percent Housing Levy on public servants. 

According to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Nyanza Regional leaders, teachers will join other public servants to reject what they termed as arbitrary imposition of a tax on their already miserable pay slips. 

Led by KNUT National Executive Committee members, Alex Dunga, Eliud Ombori and Eunice Bosco, the leaders said that as much as the trade union supports the government of the day, they cannot keep quiet when “draconian” laws are forced down the throat of workers.

They were addressing a press conference at Ndori Trading Centre in Rarieda Sub-county yesterday.

“We support the government of the day but we shall not support draconian laws that are going to affect teachers as they perform their duties,” said Dunga who is also the Siaya county KNUT Executive secretary.

Dunga said that teachers, like most public servants, had already committed their pay slips and were surviving on the one-third rule, with nothing more spared for the three percent deduction.

He said that the housing levy must not be imposed and urged the government to make it voluntary.

“If anything, young Kenyans joining service are the ones who should join the Scheme,” said Dunga and called on Members of Parliament, to up their game and stand firm with the workers and shoot down the bill.  

KNUT NEC member, Eliud Ombori, said it was ridiculous that the government wants to build houses for people who already have.

“Government cannot build for us. Let it stay away, we can organize ourselves,” said Ombori. 

Rongo KNUT Executive Secretary, Eunice Bosco, urged the government not to rush into imposing heavy taxation on Kenyans, saying that this will impoverish the citizens. 

“Rome was not built in a day. We cannot impose all the taxes at a go. If you do this, you risk demoralizing the workers,” said Bosco. 

He said that the government risked having a demoralized workforce, full of poverty stricken individuals who will not serve the country effectively.

Courtesy; K.N.A