State officers, including President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, are expected to receive salary increments following a review conducted by the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
The proposed increments, set to take effect from July 1, aim to cushion state officers against the impact of the rising cost of living.
If approved, President William Ruto’s monthly gross remuneration package will increase by 7.1 percent from the current amount of Sh1,443,750 to Sh1,546,875 from July 2023. This will be followed by a further 6.7 percent increase to Sh1,650,000 from July 2024.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s monthly compensation will rise to Sh1,367,438 from the current Sh1,227,188, representing a cumulative 14.3 percent jump in his remuneration package over the two-year period.
Other state officers, including the Attorney General, the head of the Public Service, Cabinet Secretaries, and the Secretary to the Cabinet, will also receive a 7 percent salary increment. Their monthly earnings will increase from the current Sh924,000 to Sh990,000. Principal Secretaries, the Inspector-General, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Service will also receive an increment of Sh54,656 on top of their current Sh765,188.
The proposed salary increases will occur in two phases, resulting in a cumulative salary increment of 14 percent over a two-year period for state officers. The review by the SRC aims to address the persistently high inflation that has eroded personal incomes and the rising cost of basic consumer products.
While state officers are set to benefit from the proposed pay raise, salaried workers, part-time workers, and those in the informal sector will continue to face challenges in the current inflationary environment.
The proposed changes to the compensation of state officers also cover allowances and benefits such as car loans, mortgage benefits, pension, and medical and hospital insurance. The SRC has invited public comments on the proposed remuneration packages before issuing a gazette notice to bring the new salaries into effect.
Read also: MCAs: We want triple salary and a ward development budget.
The wage bill for the national and county governments has been a concern, with the SRC acknowledging that it has been crowding out resources for development and service delivery. The wage bill stood at Sh506.29 billion and Sh190.11 billion for the national government and counties, respectively, for the fiscal year ending June 2022.
The SRC has been working to contain the ballooning wage bill, including rejecting salary reviews and pay rise requests from public institutions. Rejecting these requests between January and March 2023 saved taxpayers approximately Sh2.8 billion.
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