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{
    "id": 986453,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/986453/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 113,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Sorry, Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are living in very extraordinary times. However, I beg to seek my Statement. Pursuant to Standing Order No. 38(1), I rise to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Education for the March Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductions for teachers with disabilities. In the Statement, the Committee should explain- (1) The reasons that informed the violation of the Persons with Disabilities Act, No. 14 of 2003, which provides for tax exemption for all persons with disabilities in gainful employment; (2) State whether due diligence was carried out in the manner in which deductions of the March salaries to teachers where tax exempt was done; (3) Explain the mechanisms put in place to ensure that the April salaries and subsequent salaries are not affected; (4) Explain the measures being taken towards the reinstatement of the tax exemption status in the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) payroll for all the affected teachers and, (5) Explain the measures to ensure refund of the March PAYE deductions in full. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are exempted from paying tax up to Kshs150,000. If you earn below Kshs150,000, you are not supposed not to pay tax. Many of the teachers living with disabilities are exempted from it. However, in March, 2020, teachers with disabilities were shocked because the TSC arbitrarily decided to remove that legal benefit privilege that is under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2003. Many of them suffered. You can imagine these people had planned for it in their salaries after all the deductions. It has been very unfair. Thousands of teachers have been calling to ensure that this illegality is done away with. I call upon this august House through the relevant Committee to ensure that the changes are done immediately. As I conclude, this is a time that the teachers should benefit from the other five per cent. This is because PAYE was reduced from 30 to 25 per cent. So, it should actually be more. These teachers are suffering and they cannot even meet their expenses."
}