Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has announced that the number of workers in the public service is approximately 900,000. During a plenary session in the Senate on September 25, 2024, he stated that this figure remains relatively stable despite factors such as new recruitments, retirements, natural attrition, and the dismissal of public officers.
Muturi was responding to a query from Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, who sought clarity on the exact number of public officers on the government payroll and how this number could be reduced to alleviate the wage bill.
“The approximate number of people in the public service, which is not a constant number, is around 900,000. But the number keeps going down or going up, depending on various factors like natural attrition, retirements, sackings, and such-like issues and the advice on stopping further recruitments,” Muturi explained.
He clarified that this number encompasses individuals in the mainstream public service at both the national and county levels, including members of the National Police Service and the Teachers Service Commission.
Regarding the public wage bill, which currently stands at 46 percent of the total revenue generated in the country, Muturi did not provide specific strategies to reduce this figure, which exceeds the targeted goal of 35 percent. During a handover ceremony in August 2024, Muturi’s predecessor, Moses Kuria, emphasized the urgency of reducing the public wage bill to allow for more funding to development projects.
“Productivity remains a crucial issue. In April, during the third Wage Bill Conference at Bomas of Kenya, we identified that our wage bill is at 46% of tax collection, and our goal is to reduce it to 35% over the next three years,” Kuria stated.
He cautioned Muturi that the process of cutting the public wage bill would be unpopular but was a necessary moral decision. Kuria also handed over documents with recommendations on how to address the escalating public wage bill, reiterating that while it is a challenging task, it is vital for the country’s economic health.
