President William Ruto has called for an immediate review of proposed salary increments for state officers in the government, citing the necessity for austerity measures.
This directive follows a gazette notice dated August 9, 2023, by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) announcing upward revisions in salaries for the Executive and Legislature effective from July 1, 2024. The announcement has sparked public outcry amidst calls to reduce public expenditure.
State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, speaking on behalf of President Ruto, emphasized the urgency of revising the gazette notice in light of the recently withdrawn Finance Bill 2024 and the fiscal constraints expected in the financial year 2024/25. Mohamed stated, “The President has emphasized that this is a time, more than ever before, for the Executive & all arms of government to live within their means.”
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging the SRC’s mandate to conduct regular salary reviews but stressing the importance of maintaining austerity measures. He referred to resolutions from the Third National Wage Bill Conference aimed at reducing the Wage bill to 35 percent of the national budget, down from the current 46 percent.
Kuria emphasized the unsustainable nature of having 900,000 public servants consume Ksh 1.1 trillion annually, equivalent to 47 percent of national revenues, leaving the majority of Kenyans with limited resources for development and debt servicing. “Our current trajectory indicates a continual rise in expenditure on salaries, allowances, and benefits for public servants, placing immense strain on our national finances,” he remarked.
Consequently, Kuria declined to implement the gazette notice and called on the SRC to de-gazette the proposed new salary structure. The proposed changes included increases for Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate, Governors, Members of Parliament, the Inspector General of Police, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The initial proposal would have seen Cabinet Secretaries earning Ksh 990,000, up from Ksh 957,000, along with other allowances. Principal Secretaries were set to receive Ksh 819,844, up from Ksh 792,519, while Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate would see their salaries rise from Ksh 1.1 million to Ksh 1.2 million. Similar increases were planned for Governors, MPs, and Senators, among others.
The debate over public sector remuneration continues as stakeholders weigh fiscal responsibility against the need to attract and retain qualified personnel in key government positions.
