Government workers may soon get a pay review. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) plans to adjust their pay. This move aims to protect them from high deductions on their payslips.
SRC Chairperson Sammy Chepkwony shared this with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He was responding to a report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu. The report showed many state agencies violated the one-third basic pay rule.
Law requires that deductions must not exceed two-thirds of an employee’s pay. But audits show that this rule is often ignored. Mr. Chepkwony said SRC will address the issue in its next pay review cycle.
Many public employees now take home less than the legal minimum. This problem worsened after new laws introduced more deductions. These include the Affordable Housing Levy and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
The Affordable Housing Levy took effect on March 21, 2024. It requires a 1.5% monthly deduction from employees, matched by employers. SHIF replaced NHIF on October 1, 2024. It demands a 2.75% contribution from every resident earning an income.
Some MPs criticized SRC for not acting earlier. Aldai MP Marianne Kitany and Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera blamed SRC for not protecting civil servants from shrinking salaries.
