This was revealed on Wednesday, July 4 when Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria wrote to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to suspend new and ongoing staff hiring
The government has announced that it has suspended all new and ongoing public service recruitment in a move that however threatens to worsen the unemployment crisis in the country.
This was revealed on Wednesday, July 4 when Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria wrote to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to suspend new and ongoing staff hiring, including ongoing interviews, due to anticipated budget cuts.
In the letter seen by Viral Tea, the CS made reference to the recent directive issued by Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u, Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, regarding the total freeze on employment of staff joining the public service for the next one year.
“As outlined during his Budget presentation to Parliament on 13th June 2024, this measure is critical in controlling runaway recurrent expenditures and aligning with austerity measures across the government,” he stated in part.
Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria speaking at State House on June 19, 2023. /PCS
CS Kuria further cited the Resolutions of the Third National Wage Bill Conference held from April 15-17, 2024, among them to reduce the Wage bill to 35 percent of revenue as provided in the Public Finance Management Act 2012, and the prevailing austerity measures announced by President William Ruto occasioned by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
He also referred to the PFM Act, 2012 which provides that Kenya’s public Wage bill should not exceed 35 percent of the national budget.Â
“Our current expenditure on salaries, allowances, and benefits for public servants exceeds sustainable levels, placing undue strain on our national finances and hindering our ability to allocate resources towards essential national priorities.
“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,” he directed.
CS Kuria further announced that during the suspension of employment, the government will conduct an audit and clean all public payrolls.
Further, the Government will 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. The purpose of this letter is to request you to suspend new and ongoing recruitment, including ongoing interviews for shortlisted candidates in public service, as you await the establishment of the tripartite committee to clear the most critical requests in line with the fiscal reality in the country,” he stated to PSC.
Unemployment Statistics
The unemployment situation in the country has been so dire with the number of Kenyans without jobs increasing to more than 2.97 million in the quarter to December 2022 as per data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The rate of unemployment among women in Kenya is twice that of men, revealing that the campaigns aimed at reducing the gender gap in access to opportunities were yet to bear fruits.
An analysis of the 2023 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey by the KNBS shows that the percentage of women who had not been employed in the 12 months before the survey stood at 40.3 percent against 18.5 percent for men.
More than half of Kenyans without jobs, or 1.54 million people, were between 20 and 29 years old, underlining the growing crisis of youth unemployment.Â
Long queues of job seekers in their hundreds wait to hand in their documents at county hall in Nairobi, Kenya. /NATION MEDIA GROUP