Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa on Tuesday mounted a spirited defence of his Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025, telling the Budget and Appropriations Committee that the reforms he is proposing are not only constitutional but urgently needed to cut costs and give teachers a stronger voice in the commission that governs their profession.
Barasa, who first introduced the bill on February 24, 2025, remains its sole sponsor according to parliamentary records as of December 3. Speaking before the committee, he painted a picture of a TSC he believes has grown “bloated, expensive, and too distant from teachers,” insisting that it is time to rethink how the commission operates.
At the heart of the proposed amendment is a dramatic shift: the TSC chairperson and the eight commissioners would no longer serve full time. Instead, they would hold only six sittings a year, earning between KSh 40,000 and KSh 50,000 per sitting a sharp departure from the current monthly salaries ranging from KSh 650,000 to KSh 765,000, plus perks such as official vehicles and comprehensive medical cover.
Barasa told the committee that the part-time model could save the government between KSh 70 million and KSh 80 million annually. “We cannot continue to run a full-time commission for work that can be effectively executed on a part-time basis,” he argued, adding that other countries had already embraced such structures. He cited South Africa’s part-time educator council as one of the models that informed his proposal.
But cost-cutting was only part of the story. Barasa’s bill also seeks to overhaul how teachers are represented at the commission. Under the proposed structure, registered teachers would directly elect their representatives from primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels mirroring systems used by the Judicial Service Commission, National Police Service Commission, and Public Service Commission.
“For far too long, teachers have felt unheard,” Barasa said, describing the direct nomination proposal as a way to bring “real ownership and accountability” into the commission’s leadership.
Outside Parliament, the debate has stirred mixed reactions. Acting TSC CEO Eveleen Mitei, who recently addressed educators during World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani’s Indoor Arena on October 5, 2025, has not publicly commented on the bill. However, insiders say the commission is watching the process closely, with concerns about whether a part-time structure could slow decision-making or weaken oversight.
For now, the bill remains before the Budget and Appropriations Committee, which will determine its financial implications before it proceeds to public participation and subsequent readings in the National Assembly.
If it advances, it is likely to ignite one of the year’s most consequential debates about education governance and about how Kenya balances fiscal discipline with the need to strengthen institutions that serve millions of students and teachers across the country.
