This after the Head of State denied the salary increment proposal, noting that the gap between the low-earning public servants and the high earners is huge, hence should be moderated.
According to Yatta MP Basil Ngui, President Ruto is not genuine in his assertion and is instead hoaxing Kenyans to create an impression that he has their best interests at heart.
“It’s a political gimmick where you tell SRC to increase salaries so that when I go to the public debate I tell them I am going to reject [it],” he said.
“If you look at the President, the CSs, the DP, do you know they never incur costs of the fuel of their cars, housing costs in terms of maintenance, workers, travel, all that is done by the government.”
Ngui was speaking on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show on Monday.
On his part, Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch argued that President Ruto has no constitutional mandate to bar SRC, an independent institution, from its mandate, unless through a parliamentary process.
Oluoch further noted that SRC is only acting upon its constitutional role and if President Ruto is vexed about the proposal, he can seek avenues to review the decision but not bar them from doing their job.
“The President ought to allow SRC to conclude what it does and if you look at Article 95, the President does not make laws, he can create policy,” said Oluoch.
“He (Ruto) should retreat to Cabinet and say in terms of our current status of the economy we are trying to get from point A to B and say SRC should perhaps suspend for a time being, a policy that can come to parliament for debate,” he added.
“On a roadside declaration, the president cannot come and take away what the constitution has put on SRC.”
Terming it an executive conspiracy, he further propounded that Ruto has reneged on his promise to respect independent institutions and has even compromised parliament by altering the number balance between members in opposition and government to favour his interests.
“The main point we need to be looking at here is whether this government actually respects the independence of institutions and my answer is it has not,” he said.
“We have advanced the argument that parliament is already under capture to the extent that the numbers that ought to play a balance and give proper oversight on this government have been compromised so that you have laws being passed irrespective of its impact on society.”
While dismissing SRC’s salary increment proposal, President Ruto said he had directed the commission to come up with ways to standardize salaries for government officials to align with international standards.
“For other State officers, myself, my deputy, ministers, PSs na wale wadosi wengine wa Bunge, sisi mambo yetu tungojee tafadhali. Hiyo mshahara itakwama hapo,” he said.
The Head of State also approved a proposal by SRC to increase the monthly salaries of the lower cadre of civil servants by 7 – 10 per cent effective from July 1, 2023.
He argued that the decision was occasioned by the need to cushion workers from the tough economic times presently being witnessed in the country.
In a rebuttal, SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich said the commission was only implementing the third of a four-part cycle of agreed-upon salary increments for public servants.
Mengich added that President Ruto is within his constitutional right to seek information regarding the harmonization of the wage bill across the public service, but not to instruct the commission on its mandate.
“The commission set a four-year review cycle (for increments) and we are now in the third review cycle…there was a salary structure freeze due to Covid-19… the commission has reviewed the Salaries as required,” Mengich said.
“President has a role in public participation. We engaged the presidency. He gave his feedback and asked for some information. Anytime the President might require a report from the SRC, in this case the compression ratio, it is within the context. It is his right to participate in the public engagements and ask for information.”
