Teachers and civil servants will not receive a pay rise as promised by the government at the end of July as the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, SRC, has not completed the review process to factor in the increments.
Currently, SRC is working on the salary review after concluding the public participation exercise two weeks ago. The Commission will however gazette the new salary so that the government responsible for paying teachers and civil servants can implement the pay rise.
On June 30th, 2023, the government approved a 7 to 10 percent salary increment for teachers and civil servants beginning, July 1.
The president made this remark while at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) that there was a need to cushion civil servants from the harsh economic times
“I know there is a proposal by SRC for the increase of salaries of different cadres of both civil servants and other public servants. So our teachers, policemen, military space, and those working in government, we have agreed that from tomorrow your salaries will be adjusted between 7 and 10 percent,” Ruto said during the launch of the new e-citizen platform.
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President Ruto also asked SRC to hold off on adjusting the salaries of State officers including himself, his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, Cabinet, and Principal Secretaries, saying those can wait.
“Salaries for state officers like myself, my deputy, ministers, principal secretaries, and those other top officials…let us wait for a while please, our salaries will remain unchanged,” said Ruto.
Other State officers who were poised to benefit from the pay rise proposed by SRC included Principal Secretaries, Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate, Leaders of Majority and Minority, Chief Justice, Judges, Magistrates, Governors as well as Chairpersons of Constitutional Commissions, and Independent Offices
Earlier, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Teacher Service Commission, TSC, to review the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2021.
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KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said that teachers were facing a severe financial crisis due to the high cost of living. He noted that the current salaries are not commensurate with the work that teachers do.
Oyuu therefore, called for a salary increase for all teachers as well as a review of other benefits such as housing allowances and medical cover.
“The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) stopped us from negotiating anything monetary in 2021. But since SRC has lifted the caveat on negotiation, we have written to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to bring us to the table so that we may review our current salaries,” Oyuu stated.
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