Judge: Teachers Service Commission must pay retired teachers Sh42b

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has to pay the Sh42.3 billion owed to 52,000 retired teachers, Nakuru Resident Judge Anyara Emukule has said.

Justice Emukule said this on Friday during mention of the case in which a group of retired teachers sued TSC and the Director of Pensions over the accrued Sh42.3 billion in salary arrears and pension since they retired in 1997, and which TSC is yet to pay despite a court ruling to do so.

Emukule issued orders on May 16 directing the TSC boss to pay the retired teachers Sh3.34 billion in salary arrears and pension or risk six months' imprisonment for contempt of court.

"There is no escaping paying these teachers who delivered their services to the Government for several years. There are succession laws that will ensure their dependents are paid if some will not be there," Emukule said while extending stay orders of committal for TSC Secretary Gabriel Lengoiboni. 

The 90 days expired on August 16 and TSC sought another 90 but the court declined and extended the stay orders until yesterday. The TSC boss' days for committal end on October 10.