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{
    "id": 235619,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/235619/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Akaranga",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Public Service",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 299,
        "legal_name": "Moses Epainitous Akaranga",
        "slug": "moses-akaranga"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there have been numerous requests from the hon. Members for the clarification of areas designated as hardship and the rate of allowance payable. As a result, my Ministry has found it prudent to make a Statement on hardship areas and the allowance payable. Let me give a historical background of the hardship issue. Hardship allowance, as it is known today, has undergone a number of changes. Before and immediately after Independence, it was known as family separation allowance, which was paid to European officers and frontier allowance which was paid to public servants who were working in the designated hardship areas. The purpose of granting the allowance was to partially compensate public servants working in hardship areas due to lack of basic social services and amenities. It was also paid for non- conveyable reasons such as inducing officers to take the risk due to hardship areas and motivate them due to isolation and family separation. The allowance was to be progressively reviewed and phased out as and when the hardship areas become comparably developed like other parts of the country. In Independent Kenya, hardship allowance was introduced in 1969, for officers in designated areas. Those areas at the time were North Eastern Province, Isiolo, Lamu, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, West Pokot, Turkana District and Baringo District. Later, areas that experienced similar conditions were gazetted as hardship areas and they included Laikipia, Makueni, Keiyo District, Manyani Prison Camp and Tinderet Division of Nandi District. The criteria for determining hardship conditions has remained the same over a long period. These include accessibility and availability of food, availability and accessibility of quality portable water, climatic conditions, availability of basic social services and amenities and transport and communications services. In 1997, the Minister for Education, through Legal Notice No.534 of 11th November, 1997, gazetted additional hardship areas applicable to teachers only as recommended by the Teachers 3476 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 8, 2006 Service Remuneration Committee. The recommendation was based on the fact that teachers work in more remote areas as opposed to civil servants who are mainly posted to districts and divisional headquarters only. The additional areas which are shown in Appendix 1 created disparity in areas and rates of hardship between civil servants and teachers. Teachers are paid hardship allowances at the rate of 30 per cent of an officer's basic salary, while civil servants are paid hardship allowance at the rate of 30 per cent of basic salary, subject to a maximum of Kshs1,200 per month, for married officers and Kshs600 for single officers."
}