Chairpersons of County Public Service Boards are now seeking to be paid Sh765,188 up from Sh313,000.
They want their salaries equalised to that of the chairperson of the Public Service Commission. The vice chairperson of PSC is paid Sh650,000.
At the same time, board members are seeking an upgrade to Sh650,000 from Sh235,000.
In a petition filed before the Milimani law courts, the chairpersons of 42 County Public Service Boards claim their functions mirror those of PSC and their remuneration should therefore be at the same level.
They have asked the court to declare that members of the County Public Service Boards are state officers and that their salaries should be comparable to those of the members of the Public Service Commission.
Also sought is an order compelling SRC to set and regularly review the remuneration and benefits of members of the County Public Service Boards.
The county boards contend that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission offers them lower and inferior remuneration packages in comparison to members of the Public Service Commission, even though they perform similar functions albeit at different levels of the government
They state that the PSC is mandated, at the national level, to establish and abolish offices, provide competent human resources, promote good governance, and ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of quality services in the public service.
The County Public Service says it performs the exact functions, albeit at the county level.
“Given the similarities, the functions, character, and composition of the Public Service Commission and the County Public Service Board, it follows that members of both entities should enjoy equal status and protection before the eyes of the law,” the boards say.
They indicate that despite the similarity in status, nature, establishment and functions of the County Public Service Board and the Public Service Commission, SRC has unreasonably failed to set the remuneration and benefits of members of the County Public Service Boards, despite them being state officers.
Both the Public Service Commission and the County Public Service Board have a chairperson and vice-chairperson, members, and a secretary. The law requires the chairperson and vice-chairperson of both entities to be of opposite gender.
