A message being circulated on social media calling on retired Ministry of Education employees to visit Huduma Centres for their retirement benefits is false.
The message claimed that the government had released retirement benefits for Ministry of Education employees who retired between 1997 and 2007.
The message urged the retirees or their kin to visit Huduma Centre, Pensions Department, to claim the benefits.
“Hi members, do you know of anyone who worked in the ministry of Education as a teacher or any other position and retired between the year 1997 and 2007? If yes, advice him/her or his/her family (if deceased) to visit Huduma Centre – Pensions department for some claims that were paid. Tell a friend to tell a friend,” the message reads.
Business Today has checked the message and found it to be fake and not originating from the government.
In a statement on September 21, 2023, the Kenya Police Service dismissed the message through its verified X account, calling on members of the public to exercise caution when responding to such messages.
“Caution: Beware of Scammers! Please exercise caution before sharing personal information or responding to such messages,” the Kenya Police Service stated.
In September 2021, the Pensions Department issued a statement dismissing a similar message that was circulating on social media.
“Our attention has been drawn to a false message that is circulating on several social media platforms alleging that some additional retirement benefits are being availed to former employees of the Ministry of Education (teachers and other cadres) who retired between the year 1997 and 2007. The false message has been advising the retired employees in that category or their next of kin to visit the Pensions Department Desks at Huduma Centres for processing of the benefits,” the department stated in 2021.
“Pensioners and members of the public are hereby informed that the message and its content is false and should be ignored. The source and motive of the message is unknown to the Pensions Department of the National Treasury — the government organization mandated to administer the Public Service Pension Scheme.”
According to the statement, as of September 2021, the Pensions Department was undertaking a revision of pension awards affecting former teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) who retired from July 1, 1998, to June 30, 2003.
“The revised pension for this group followed the orders of the court in the class action suit – Nakuru High Court Civil Case No. 65 of 2006, Simon Kamau & 19 others Versus Teachers Service Commission delivered on 23rd October 2012. The revised claims in this category are automatically compiled by the TSC and submitted to the Pensions Department, National Treasury for processing,” added the Pensions Department.
According to the department, the payment does not require a claimant to visit the respective offices to lodge a claim.
The message calling on retired employees of the Ministry of Education or their kin to visit Huduma Centres to claim benefits is, therefore, false.
This fact check was published by Business Today with technical support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck newsdesk, through the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA).
