The Mountain Journal
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) is collaborating with 41 county governments on the strategies to achieve sustainable wage bills to comply with a High Court ruling that requires counties to dedicate 35 percent of their budget on wage bill by 2030.
The commission’s chairman, Sammy Chepkwony, observed that the wage bill remains a national challenge as 41 counties are struggling to comply with the requirement, as they are being assisted to come out of the myriad bloated employment challenges.
Speaking in Murang’a when he met Governor Irungu Kang’ata, Chepkwony said the commission is exploring ways to work closely with counties to ensure they maintain a sustainable wage bill.
Murang’a county government has a wage bill of 51 percent, and amounts to 41 percent under the watch of the SRC.
The county governments, he said, should ensure compliance without compromising key initiatives in healthcare, youth programmes, and farmer support, among others.
“There is a court order that has given counties a timeline within which to comply,” said Mr Chepkwony, adding that the commission had reached a consensus on the approach to bring the wage bill down.
On his part, Kang’ata said Murang’a was struggling with a high wage bill, which stands at about 51 percent of the county budget against the recommended 35 percent.
“There are some proposals suggesting a reduction of the number of employees, an approach which is inhumane,” said the governor.
Kang’ata told the commission that Murang’a County Government had frozen new employment except in critical areas, that includes the health sector.
Counties with the highest wage bill of between 50 and 60 percent against the recommended 35 percent are Kitui, Kisii, Nairobi, Mombasa, Machakos, Wajir, West Pokot, Nyeri, Laikipia, and Elgeyo Marakwet.
