The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management Moses Kuria has declined to sign a new law to implement the salary hike for government officials as proposed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
CS Kuria’s move comes at a time when the nation is faced with a call to slash government expenditure, championed by Gen Z who have put on notice state officers over their opulence.
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It, perhaps shows President William Ruto’s willingness to listen to the public outcry as Kuria called for fiscal responsibility in public sector salary adjustments on the implementation of proposed salary increases.
Referencing Kenya Gazette Notice No. 177 of 9 August 2023, which detailed the intended adjustments set to be effective in the Financial Year 2024/2025 from 1st July 2024, CS Kuria acknowledged the authority of the SRC to review and advise on state officers’ compensation.
“I decline to implement the gazette notice on increased salaries as applies to the Executive arm of National Government and urge the Commission to degazette the implementation of the new salary structure, in its entirety, across all levels of Government,” said CS Kuria in a notice to SRC.
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In a media interview on Sunday, President William Ruto committed to deal with what Kenyans have termed ballooning wage bill by reducing salaries.
He offered to lead the charge by having a reduction of his salary and the same to be done across government.
Gen Z Grievances
The president takes home Ksh.1.4 million gross salary, Deputy President Ksh.1.2 million and the Prime CS Ksh.990,000. MPs and Senators take home Ksh.739,600 while governors’ pay amounts to Ksh.990,000.
One of the grievances fronted by the Gen Zs included a reduction of MPs’ salaries to Ksh.200,000 as part of the austerity measures.
This means that the expenditure for MPs would reduce from Ksh.258 million to Ksh.69 million monthly.
As much as Kenyans are calling for a revised public expenditure, Kuria’s decision is informed by the Third National Wage Bill Conference held on 15-17 April 2024.
During the conference, the officials called for a reduced wage bill to 35 percent of revenue in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act 2012.
With current figures showing public servants consuming a substantial portion of national revenues, the Cabinet Secretary underscored the ethical and moral imperative of addressing this issue.
The unsustainable trajectory of rising expenditures on salaries, allowances, and benefits for public servants poses a substantial strain on the country’s finances.
The Ministry has asked for the gazettement of the new salary structure across all government levels and called for fiscal prudence and equitable compensation practices.
