Allegations have emerged that the Teachers Service Commission is colluding with the Kenya Women Teachers Association under the leadership of Benta Opande to allow unauthorized deductions from teachers’ payslips, with many teachers saying they never gave consent for the monthly Ksh 200 deductions.
The claims have raised serious concern about how deductions are approved and whether teachers’ rights over their salaries are being respected.
According to records reportedly seen by KTN, Benta Opande is alleged to have employed several of her close family members within KEWOTA.
The list includes her four children, with two said to be earning about Ksh 200,000 and the other two about Ksh 250,000 per month.
The same records also mention her niece and two brothers, pointing to a pattern where relatives occupy multiple positions within the organization.
While family employment is not automatically unlawful, the issue becomes sensitive because the organization is said to rely on deductions taken directly from teachers’ salaries.
Teachers who have spoken anonymously say they have never signed any agreement to join KEWOTA, yet deductions continue to appear on their payslips.
Some say they formally wrote to both KEWOTA and the Teachers Service Commission asking for the deductions to be stopped, but no action has been taken so far.
This has led to frustration and suspicion among affected teachers, who feel they are being forced into membership without their approval.
One teacher explained that even after raising complaints, the deductions continued without explanation. Others claim that the process of removing oneself from the association is unclear and difficult, which has made the situation worse.
These concerns suggest possible weaknesses in the systems used by TSC to process third-party deductions, especially when it comes to verifying consent.
KEWOTA presents itself as an organization that supports women in the education sector, including those employed by TSC, private institutions, and ECDE centres.
It is led by senior officials including Benta Opande, treasurer Jacinta Ndegwa, and chairperson Dorothy Muthoni. The organization says it focuses on women empowerment, but the ongoing complaints from teachers suggest that some members feel the opposite is happening in practice.
The issue is not entirely new. In the past, the Kenya National Union of Teachers raised concerns about KEWOTA’s operations and even called for investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. These concerns were linked to disputes over membership and the role of TSC in facilitating deductions.
Attention is now turning to how deductions are authorized and whether there is enough oversight to protect teachers from unauthorized charges.
Many affected teachers are calling for clear answers and immediate action to stop deductions that they insist they never approved, while also seeking accountability from both KEWOTA and TSC over how the situation has been handled.
