The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has dismissed reports of plotting significant changes to teachers’ salaries countrywide including the removal of non-statutory deductions.
TSC, in a brief statement on Tuesday, flagged as fake a viral social media post depicting that the commission was on the verge of halting direct deductions made from teachers’ salaries to the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations or Societies (SACCOs).
The post purported that the commission would end direct Sacco deductions by February this year, marking a transformative change to how teachers contribute to the cooperatives.
According to the misleading post, the commission decided to simplify the payroll processes to give teachers greater control over their finances.
“Teachers will now actively manage their Sacco payments instead of relying on automatic deductions. They’ll use modern payment methods such as mobile money or online banking,” claimed the flagged post.
“This marks a transformative change in the way teachers in Kenya contribute to the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations from traditional sacco contributions and loan payments which are deducted automatically.”
It is worth noting that direct Sacco deductions allow a cooperative society to automatically deduct a member's monthly pay and manage the amount on their behalf.
Direct deductions by cooperative societies come with advantages and implications, for instance, the deductions guarantee an employee access to cheap loans while on the other hand, denies an individual financial autonomy.
While refuting the claims, the commission termed the allegations as fake and misleading, further urging Kenyans to be wary not to fall for such fraudulent news. “Beware of fake news!” TSC warned.
TSC was forced to clarify the matter after a section of Kenyans online raised concerns over the credibility of the post with some calling on the commission to set the record straight.
The announcement comes barely a fortnight after the commission distanced itself from another fake post that claimed it barred P1 teachers from being deployed to the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS).
The letter dated December 27, 2024, which purported to have been signed by TSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nancy Macharia claimed that the commission would take action on P1 teachers found to be violating the regulations.
According to the flagged post, no teacher would be allowed to teach in the Junior Secondary School unless they are approved by the commission.
Dismissing the post, TSC wrote, "Please beware of the fake post circulating on social media. Remember to always verify information from our communication channels."
