HOAX: No Additional Retirement Benefits for Former MOE Staffers

A file iumage of the National Treasury
The National Treasury offices at Harambee Avenue, Nairobi
file

The Pensions Department under the Ministry of National Treasury and Planning is not offering additional retirement benefits to former employees of the Ministry of Education (teachers and other cadres) who retired between the years 1997 and 2007 as claimed by this Facebook post

 

The Facebook post
The Facebook post claiming the Ministry of National Treasury and Planning is offering additional retirement benefits to former employees of the Ministry of Education
Facebook

On Wednesday, September 1, the Pensions Department under the Ministry of National Treasury and Planning raised alarm over the claim which went viral on social media especially Facebook pages and groups and Whatsapp channels.

The false message has been advising retirement employees in that category (1997 and 2007 retirees) or their next of kin to visit the Pensions Department desks at Huduma Centres for processing of the benefits. 

A Facebook post by Pam wa Muthami which garnered 49 comments read: “But you people can land someone in problems. So there's this message you have been circulating on Whatsapp and it has reached my mum, how teachers who retired between the year 1997 and 2007 (including relatives of those who are deceased) should visit Huduma Centre - Pensions department for some claims that were paid - just out of the blues I guess. She now needs me to get her money, why are you people like this surely? Or is there money?”

The same was shared to a Facebook Group dubbed “Let's Say No to Poor Governance in National & County Government" TINGANGA NOTICE BOARD and mandera tribune. 

Director of Pensions Michael Kagika stated that the information is false and should be ignored.

The statement dated Wednesday, September 1 was released via Twitter

He pointed out that the only revision of pension awards that has been ongoing affects former teachers who are employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) who retired between July 1998 to June 30, 2003.

“The revised claims in this category are automatically copied by the Teachers Service Commission and submitted to the Pensions Department, National Treasury for processing and processing does not require the claimant to visit the respective offices to lodge a claim,” Kagika wrote.

He further stated that the revised pension for that group followed the orders of the court in the class action suit - Nakuru High Court Civil Case No.65 of 2006, Simon Kamau & 19 others Versus Teachers Service Commission delivered on October 23, 2012.

“Pensioners and members of the public are hereby informed that the message and its content is false and should be ignored. 

“The source and the motive of the message are unknown to the Pensions Department of the National Treasury - the government organisation mandated to administer the Public Service Pension Scheme, the director cautioned. 

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A statement released by the Pensions Department under the Ministry of National Treasury and Planning
Twitter

A review of further recent activities underway at the Pensions Department ascertained that the disbursed gratuity payments for pensioners with accounts in commercial banks were credited before Friday, July 9, 2021while those operating Sacco Accounts were credited thereafter. 

The Pensions Department disbursed all pension gratuity payments that were processed to finality within the 2020/2021 Financial Year that ended on June 30, 2021. Disbursement of the last batch was done on diverse dates between June 29, 2021, and July 6, 2021.

Digital journalist, John Mbati, has looked into several posts claiming that additional retirement benefits are being availed to former employees of the Ministry of Education (teachers and other cadres) who retired between the years 1997 and 2007 and found them to be HOAXES.

This fact-check was produced by Kenyans.co.ke's John Mbati in partnership with Code for Africa with support from Deutsche Welle Akademie.