President William Ruto has weighed in on the proposal by the Salaries Remuneration Commission (SRC) to increase salaries for state officials.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed in a statement on July 3, 2024, said that President Ruto had moved to address the Gazette Notice from the SRC dated August 9, 2023, which had approved that state officers were set to receive salary and benefit increments starting July 1, 2024.
Mohamed noted that the Head of State has since directed the National Treasury to review the notice.
“President William Ruto has directed the National Treasury to review the Gazette Notice dated August 9, 2023, from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) regarding the remuneration & benefits for State officers in the Executive of the National Government, the Senate & the National Assembly.
According to Hussein, the order by the Head of State came in light of the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 and the fiscal constraints expected this financial year.
Ruto on Proposed Salary Increments for MPs
“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,” added Hussein.
Earlier, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria had also issued a statement on the gazette notice, noting that he had declined it.
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CS Kuria announced that his ministry would not be implementing the gazette notice, further urging SRC to degazette the implementation.
“As the Cabinet Secretary responsible for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management therefore, 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 Kuria.
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CS Kuria further urged Salaries and Remuneration Commission and other institutions in public sector on the need to make sacrifices that state officials expect other Kenyans to make.
SRC Gazette Declined by Govt
The CS in his argument referred to the resolutions of the Third National Wage Bill Conference held on 15-17th April 2024, which included among others reducing the Wage bill to 35 percent of revenue.
He also cited the prevailing austerity measures announced by President Ruto which were occasioned by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
“I reiterate my observations during the Conference that it is not sustainable to have 900,000 public servants from both levels of Government consume Ksh1.1 trillion annually, which is equivalent to 47 percent of national revenues, leaving the rest of 54 million Kenyans with 53 percent, with debt servicing and development to cater for, among other expenditure,” added Kuria.
According to Kuria, the issue should be treated more like a moral and ethical issue other than an economic issue.
He stressed that the government’s current trajectory indicates a continual rise in expenditure on salaries, allowances, and benefits for public servants, placing immense strain on our national finances.
Kuria further stated that reducing the public wage bill requires a multifaceted approach, one that balances fiscal prudence with a commitment to fair compensation for our public servants.
Pay Rise
According to a Gazette Notice from the SRC dated August 9, 2023, state officers were set to receive salary and benefit increments starting July 1, 2024.
If the notice were to be implemented, new salaries for MPs and Senators would be Ksh739,600 from the past Ksh725,502. Leaders of the Majority and Minority in both houses were to benefit from an increment of Ksh15,251 earning 800,019 from Ksh784,768.
Parliamentary committees were also set to receive a revised sitting allowance of Sh7,500 per sitting, along with a Sh35 million mortgage allowance, Ksh356,525 for vehicle maintenance, and Ksh15,000 for airtime.
Also, SRC proposes pay hikes of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, all 22 Cabinet Secretaries, the Head of Public Service, the Attorney General, and Secretary to the Cabinet would rise to Ksh990,000 each from Ksh957,000.
Both the Speaker of Senate and the National Assembly were set to receive Ksh1,208,362 from Ksh1,185,327, Ksh40 million mortgage, Ksh25,000 airtime and official residence.
However, the proposed increments which have caused widespread uproar has seen several lawmakers also reject the notice, further questioning the SRC for its silence on the issue.
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