Govt Sets New Retirement Age for Public Varsity Lecturers 

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has reviewed the mandatory retirement age for lecturers serving in public universities.

In a memo addressed to Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, university councils, vice-chancellors, state corporations, the Registrar of the Judiciary, and the Auditor-General, PSC Chief Executive Officer Paul Famba said the change aims to “ensure uniformity and compliance in the public service.”

“The Constitution places the mantle of human resource management in the Public Service on the Public Service Commission. This includes ensuring the public service is efficient and effective, reviewing and making recommendations to the national government on conditions of service and qualifications for public officers,” read the memo in part.

PSC Raises Retirement Age for Public Varsity

Under the revised framework, which takes effect immediately, professors, associate professors, and research professors serving under permanent and pensionable terms will retire at 70 years, while persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the same category will retire at 75 years.

Senior lecturers and lecturers will retire at 65 years, while those under the PWDs category will retire at 70 years.

Assistant lecturers, junior researchers, graduate assistants, and research assistants under contract employment terms will retire at 60 years, while PWDs will retire at 65 years.

Also Read: Judges to Contribute 7.5% of Their Salary as Ruto Signs New Retirement Benefits Law

Research scientists working in research institutions who hold a PhD will retire at 65 years of age, or at 70 years of age if living with a disability.

Those with a master’s degree and relevant publications will also retire at 65 years, with an extension to 70 years for persons with disabilities.

Non-teaching staff will retire at 60 years, while those registered as persons with disabilities will retire at 65 years, in line with Regulation 70(1)(b) of the Public Service Commission Regulations.

Also Read: Retirement Schemes in Kenya Record Slowdown -Latest Report

Retirement Age in Other Public Sectors 

The mandatory retirement age has long stood at 60 years, with that of PWDs ranging from 60 to 74 years, as adopted under an East African Community (EAC) treaty in 2009.

Previously, the mandatory retirement age in the public service was set at 55 years.

However, the government raised it to 60 years in 2009 following concerns that the public sector was losing highly skilled and experienced employees while they were still productive.

In a circular issued at the time, then Head of the Public Service, Francis Muthaura, said the change was intended to retain critical professional and technical skills within government institutions and address succession gaps caused by early retirement.

The policy shift also sought to harmonise Kenya’s retirement age with that of the East African Community member states, which had adopted an official retirement age of 60 years.

The directive applied across the public service, including the civil service, state corporations, public universities, and the disciplined forces, while special retirement provisions remained for certain categories such as judges, academic staff in public universities, research scientists, and persons with disabilities.