Exiting commissioners to take home Sh232m sendoff perks

Chairpersons and members of five constitutional bodies who have exited or are set to exit will take home Sh232 million collectively in gratuity for their service.

Tenures of several members of the Public Service Commission, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, National Police Service Commission, Ombudsman and National Gender Commission have come to an end.

As is with the terms of service, such officers are entitled to gratuity – paid at 31 per cent of their annual pay for the period served.

Gratuity is the money paid to public servants either at the end of their contract period or retirement in appreciation of their services.

It is enjoyed by civil servants, MPs, state officers in the executive and military officers.

Treasury data says PSC commissioners will get Sh72 million followed by their SRC counterparts who are tipped for Sh64.8 million.

NPSC commissioners are entitled to Sh46 million, Sh28 million for commissioners exiting the Ombudsman and Sh19.6 million for the gender commission officials.

The tenure of Lyn Mengich as the SRC chairperson lapsed on September 13 having served her full six-year term.

She quit alongside commissioners Amani Yuda, John Monyoncho, Leah Mumbua, Margret Sawe, Elizabeth Muchiri and Peris Ashubwe.

The six are set to share the Sh64 million based on their basic salaries.

The commission currently has two members namely Abdullahi Abdi who joined in November 2021 and Phyllis Wagacha in 2023.

Florence Kajuju also ceased being chairperson of the Commission on Administrative Justice, also known as the Ombudsman, in August.

Two commission members, Washington Sati and Lucy Ndungu, also concluded their tour of duty having taken over on August 2, 2018. The three are to share the Sh28 million.

Joyce Mutinda's term as chairperson of the National Gender and Equality Commission also ended on September 3.

She joined the commission in 2018 and was sworn in alongside Muriithi Chomba and Priscilla Nyokabi.

According to the constitution, holders of constitutional commissions and independent offices serve for a non-renewable term of six years.

There are vacancies at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority as chairperson Anne Makori and seven members are on their way out.

President William Ruto has appointed three hiring panels to fill the vacancies at constitutional commissions and independent offices.

The payouts shine the spotlight on the taxpayers burden to meet pension budgets for state officers.

This financial year alone, Treasury has to raise Sh223 billion, being ordinary pension of Sh93 billion, gratuity of Sh85 billion and Sh36 billion to go towards government’s contribution to the public service superannuation scheme and Sh6 billion for other pension schemes.

Ordinary pensions are monthly payments made to support public servants upon retirement for the rest of the person’s life.

The monthly pensions for retired civil servants, former MPs, military officers and state officers amount to Sh82.12 billion.

The government also extends payment of ordinary pensions to dependents or widows and children of public servants for a defined period after the death of the primary beneficiary.

According to an analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office, pensions to dependent’s amounts to Sh4.91 billion while widows and children’s pensions amount to Sh7.44 billion.

More than 8,600 officers are due to retire in the next three years, thrusting the Public Service Commission into a crisis of an aging civil service workforce.

More than a quarter of the workforce in the civil service is made up of people aged over 50 years.

PSC says already, 426 civil servants have hit 60 years, at least 10,563 are in the age bracket of 51 to 55 years while another 10,837 are in the age bracket of 46 to 50 years.

The government wage bill stood at more than Sh1.1 trillion by June 30 last year and is set to grow further.