Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has explained why the government cannot arbitrarily increase the salaries of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainers despite growing concerns over their take-home pay.
Speaking before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PIC-G&E) on July 15, Ogamba said salary adjustments for public servants are governed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and must follow established government procedures.
SRC Determines Salaries for Public Servants
The Cabinet Secretary told the committee that salary reviews are not influenced by statutory deductions or an employee’s personal financial obligations.
Instead, remuneration is guided by SRC recommendations, employment contracts and existing government policies.
“Salaries are controlled through the SRC and are not increased because of levies on normal salaries. There is a process of increment of salaries that is stipulated in the letters of employment and that is what we follow,” Ogamba told the committee.
One-Third Rule Does Not Automatically Trigger Salary Increase
Ogamba was responding to concerns over whether the Ministry of Education would increase TVET trainers’ salaries to help them comply with the one-third rule, which requires public servants to retain at least one-third of their basic salary after statutory deductions.
The CS clarified that the rule does not provide a basis for increasing an individual’s salary outside the approved remuneration framework.
According to him, where statutory deductions reduce an employee’s net pay, the government cannot simply adjust that person’s salary to meet the one-third threshold.
“The solution is not to arbitrarily increase that particular individual’s salary in order for them to meet the basic one-third requirement,” he said.
Ogamba further revealed that salary reviews affecting university lecturers and other higher education educators are handled through Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) negotiated between employers and workers’ unions.
He disclosed that the current administration inherited several unresolved CBAs dating back to 2013, with pending salary arrears and other financial obligations yet to be implemented.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the government is working to regularise the outstanding agreements while mobilising the resources required to implement them.
Auditor-General’s Reports Under Review
Ogamba appeared before the parliamentary committee alongside Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala and TVET Principal Secretary Dr. Esther Muoria during the examination of the Auditor-General’s reports for agencies under the Ministry of Education.
The reports under review cover the 2018/2019 to 2024/2025 financial years, with lawmakers scrutinising financial management, governance and accountability across institutions in the education sector.
