Ruto okays civil servants' windfall, rejects pay rise for senior govt officials

Civil servants are set for a record pay raise this month after the government approved an increase of up to 10 percent in their salaries from tomorrow, July 1.

However, President William Ruto said Friday that senior government officials will not benefit from the raise proposed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to cushion government workers from inflation.

The Head of State froze a pay raise for top officials including himself, and his deputy, Members of Parliament (MPs), Principal Secretaries, Cabinet Secretaries, House Speakers and judges, among others.

Dr Ruto said the salaries of civil servants as well as teachers, police and other government workers will be increased by between 7 per cent and 10 per cent in what is expected to be a significant boost to workers even as the State begins implementing the 1.5 per cent housing tax for all workers with a payslip. 

The National Treasury has earmarked Sh17.7 billion in the 2023/24 financial year budget for civil servants’ pay raise.

"(For) our teachers, police, people working in government offices, we have agreed that your salaries will be adjusted by between 7 and 10 per cent starting tomorrow," Dr Ruto said.

"But for other civil servants, hiyo mshahara itakwama hapo (their salaries will remain the same) until I have instructed the SRC to give us international best practices because we need to reduce the gap between all of us who work for the people of Kenya," he announced.

The President's comments come days after the SRC invited public comments on the proposed remuneration package for civil servants in the third review cycle since the 2013/14 financial year.

Under the SRC's proposals, President Ruto's monthly salary would have increased by 7.1 per cent from the current Sh1,443,750 to Sh1,546,875 from July 2023, before a further 6.7 per cent jump to Sh1,650,000 from July 2024.

On his part, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's monthly remuneration would have risen from Sh1,227,188 currently to Sh1,367,438 from July 1 before reaching Sh1,402,500, representing a cumulative 14.3 per cent jump in his remuneration package over the two years.

The remuneration of Cabinet Secretaries was proposed to increase by a similar margin, rising from the current Sh924,000 to Sh1,056,000 per month from 1 July 2024.

MPs, including senators, would have earned Sh741,003 and Sh769,201 respectively in the next two financial years from the current Sh710,000, representing a cumulative pay rise of 8.3 per cent over the period.

However, the revised remuneration package for MPs and Senators excludes committee meeting allowances, which are capped at Sh120,000 per month.

At the county level, governors will receive a comparable increase to the President, meaning they will earn Sh1,056,000 by July 2024, up from the current gross monthly salary of Sh924,000.

Meanwhile, county assembly members will earn Sh164,588 in just over a year, up from the current Sh144,375, as the SRC recommends a 14 per cent increase in their monthly salaries.

Other state officials set to receive a pay hike include principal secretaries, the chief justice, the deputy chief justice, the auditor general, judges, the director of public prosecutions, the inspector general of police and chairpersons of key commissions such as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The draft changes to the remuneration of state officials announced by the SRC on Thursday also cover allowances and benefits for state officials such as car loans and mortgage allowances, pensions and medical and hospital insurance.

An estimated 954,900 civil servants have been pushing for a pay review to compensate for tough economic times at a time when inflation hit 7.9 per cent in June due to high prices of food, electricity, fuel and other commodities.

The President was speaking at the launch of the enhanced e-Citizen platform in Nairobi Friday.

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