The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has set fresh guidelines on how the BBF at each KUPPET County Branch should be managed. In the past, KUPPET members have experienced benevolence challenges upon losing their loved ones. To offer solutions to these gaps, individual county branches resorted to establish BBF. However, management of the BBF had challenges, forcing the National Governing Council Welfare, (NGCW) Committee to set new guidelines.

According to the new guidelines, NGCW shall intervene in finding solutions to challenges facing BBF in branches

KUPPPET branches that lack BBF shall be encouraged to start one but members shall not not remit above ksh 150.

Additionally, NGCW may monitor the running of burial benevolent fund to ensure smooth performance.

Through the chairman of NGCW, members from BBF branches will raise their complaints and challenges.

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New BBF Benefits

BBF beneficiaries shall cover the nuclear family and at most two parents.

Below are the financial benefits per case, which shall be reviewed during annual general meetings (AGM).

NB   -Branches engaged in projects can vary the figures.

• Individual branches will establish tools that will prevent fraud from members. Branches may seek funds by innovating income generating activities like fund raising and projects etc.
• Branches will appoint an auditor during annual general meetings, who will serve for a year. Office bearers or scheme delegates will not qualify to be an auditor.
• A special Annual General Meeting shall be held under the direction of the committee.
• Executive committee shall be held three times a year or once every term.
• All BBFs shall be controlled from the KUPPET head office.
• All branch secretariat staff also contributes like teachers and equally benefit as other members.

KUPPET BBF Scheme Governance And Management

• BBF executive committee shall comprise: -Executive secretary, BEC treasurer and 3 delegates elected from sub-counties.
• There shall be 3 (three) signatories who will be; The Executive Secretary who is co-opted as patron but a mandatory signatory, BBF chairman and BEC treasurer.
• Central Management Committee Shall be composed of; the executive committee and all elected delegates from sub counties, with each sub county having one delegate elected during branch AGM.

• All these delegates shall be TSC registered members.
• The delegate shall run the affairs of the fund for a period of 5 years continuously and can seek re-election when their term expires.

Duties Of The Office Bearers                              

1. THE CHAIRPERSON

Presiding over all committee meetings and general meetings of the scheme. In case of a tie of votes at any meeting he/she shall have a casting vote.

2. Two committee members.

• Assistant to the chairperson
• Performing the duties of the chairperson in his or her absence.

3. THE SECRETARY

• Executing the policy matters concerning the scheme.
• Consulting the chairperson on matters concerning the scheme.
• Responsible for keeping all records of the scheme
• Taking minutes during meetings,
• Call for meeting in consultation with the Executive Secretary.

4. THE TREASURER

• Keeping records of income and expenditure of the scheme
• Preparing the budget and estimates of the scheme.
• Preparing trial balance of the scheme for the general meeting
• Presenting audited accounts to members during the general meeting.

5. KUPPET Executive Secretary/Patron.

• Coordinating all the activities of the scheme in liaison with the respective delegate.
• By virtue of his office shall be responsible for queries from registrar office and therefore shall guide on the best practice of fund management.

The sudden move by KUPPET to make compulsory a deduction of ksh 200/- for all its members towards burial benevolent fund (BBF) has faced opposition from a section of the members. The section of teachers opposed to the move have termed it as a ‘forced deduction’ into their already overburdened payslips.

BBF is a form of contribution scheme where members remit some amount of money, depending on the welfare, to cater for their burial expenses and that of their dependants upon death.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) for instance deducts ksh. 200 from its BBF members monthly through a check off system.

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The decision leading to deduction of ksh 200 towards BBF up from ksh 100 was made in June 2021 by the Kuppet National Governing Council.  This upward revision of BBF deduction has become a bone of contention between Kuppet officials and Kuppet members.

Kuppet members have been voluntarily contributing kshs 100 monthly into their BBF kitty. However, Kuppet National Governing Council in June resolved that it will be compulsory for all Kuppet members to join BBF.

This implies that all KUPPET members will automatically join BBF and get subjected to a ksh 200 monthly contributions. Only members of KUPPET Vihiga and KUPPET kakamega will be excepted since they already have separate deduction codes.

A section of members has opposed this decision and have taken their protests to the social media.

According to the Kuppet National Governing Council, another meeting to revise the benefits each member gets following the changes will be held soon.