Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria has ordered the suspension of recruitment in the public service sector.
In a statement on July 4, 2024, Kuria cited a directive from Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u, which ordered a complete freeze on hiring new staff for the next year.
While addressing the chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Kuria reinforced the new move with the necessity of aligning with the anticipated budget cuts.
“In view of expected budget cuts in the ongoing budget rationalization, therefore, I urge you to halt any new recruitment and any that is ongoing and has not been concluded. During the suspension of employment, the government will conduct an audit and clean all public payrolls,” the statement read in part.
In addition, Kuria revealed the government had the intention to conduct a thorough audit of public payrolls during the recruitment hiatus.
According to Kuria, the aim was to streamline and cleanse existing payroll systems in preparation for future financial adjustments.
Further, the CS disclosed plans to establish a committee tasked with evaluating recruitment initiatives to ensure that future hiring in the public sector was justified by genuine operational requirements.
“In the meantime, the Government is going to form a tripartite committee consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, the Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning and the Public Service Commission to evaluate the ongoing recruitment initiatives with an aim of ensuring compliance with reducing the public wage bill directive. Any future hiring in the public sector must be justified by genuine operational needs,” CS Kuria noted.
— CS Moses Kuria (@HonMoses_Kuria) July 4, 2024
Kuria declines to hike pay
Previously, Moses Kuria declined to implement the gazette notice on salary increases for state officers, citing there was a need for fiscal responsibility in the wake of violent protests against the Finance Bill 2024.
CS Kuria stated in a public notice that while the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had the authority to set and review the remuneration and benefits of all state officers, the current economic climate necessitates a different approach.
The Kenyan Gazette Notice No. 177 of August 9, 2023, outlined a new salary structure which was set to be implemented by July 1, 2024. However, the planned upward review of salaries for State officers was frozen following a massive public uproar.
In his opinion, Kuria referred to the resolution of the third National Wage Bill Conference held from April 15 to 17, 2024, which aimed to reduce the wage bill to 35 per cent of revenue, as stipulated in the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act of 2012, and the prevailing austerity measures announced by President William Ruto following the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
“Given the resolution from the National Wage Bill Conference and the austerity measures announced by His Excellency the President, it is clear that implementing the new salary structure at this time is unsustainable,” Kuria stated.