Gladys Shollei, a deputy speaker of the national assembly, has demanded that the government better oversee the country’s public salary bill via the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
In response to her complaints about the SRC’s ineffectiveness in regulating pay rates across government agencies, she suggested that the government standardise pay rates so that recommendations could be made to the SRC in a centralised fashion.
Her comments come after Lyn Mengich, chair of the SRC, recently stated her intention to prevent pay hikes for government employees at the 3rd National Pay Bill Conference in an effort to rein in the growing wage bill and keep the government’s finances in check.
Speaking from her background as the former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Shollei brought attention to the fact that there are large wage disparities, especially within the judiciary.
During the constitutional discussions at Bomas, Shollei criticised the piecemeal method for forming the SRC, saying that it caused institutions like the Judicial Service Commission and the Parliamentary Service Commission to have overlapping responsibilities.
Centralising and rationalising wage decisions, preventing inequities, and ensuring equitable treatment across all levels of public service are the goals of her plan to reform the SRC’s authority.
Economist Billow Kerrow echoed Shollei’s demand for new laws, pleading with lawmakers to give the SRC more authority. Makali Mulu, the Member of Parliament for Kitui Central, shared similar views and emphasised the significance of the SRC’s function in making fair and scientific salary determinations.
As part of their third annual national wage bill conference, SRC and the Public Service Commission are gathering in the Bomas of Kenya to discuss how to bring the public salary bill down from 43% of revenue to 35%.
During the week-long conference that began on Monday, April 15, the government announced its collaboration with the World Bank to create a new HR system for public personnel. This system would replace the present one in the long run.