Why we're scrapping off civil servants allowances - SRC

Salaries and Remuneration Commission Chairperson Lyn Mengich has explained why they have recommended scrapping some allowances earned by civil servants. 

Mengich in an interview on Spice FM on Thursday morning said the allowances in question if paid amount to double compensation.

"For example, an institution decides to form committees internally to do the work they are appointed to do and they pay them an allowance. That is what we are saying is double compensation," Mengich said. 

Mengich gave another scenario where a State Agency in need of policy deploy its policymakers to a retreat to do so.

In such a scenario, Mengich said the employees do not deserve retreat allowance.

Retreat allowance is paid to public officers participating in special assignments meant to review, develop and produce policy documents away from their workstations.

"Those task forces are discharging the mandate of that institution. Why pay allowance for that?" she posed. 

When it comes to the travel allowance, per diem, Mengich said the issue is the allowances come in different clusters. 

She said the clusters make those who travel to the cities like Mombasa and Nairobi get more allowances while those that travel to other towns get less. 

Mengich said the disparity in the travel allowance makes many civil servants seek to travel to the cities. 

"So you find everyone going to Mombasa and those in Mombasa are going to Nairobi. What this means is you are actually spending much more than the per diem allowance. What worries us here is the cost of travel and time that you are spending which we don't cost," she said.

Mengich said the ongoing review at the commission is going to address the disparity in allowances based on regions. 

She said the review seeks to make the travel allowances uniform across the country. 

Currently, the commission seeks to do away with three allowances payable to government employees in what it says is a bid to cut down the wage bill.

In a circular dated August 7,  Mengich  said the commission is seeking to scrap the retreat allowances, sitting allowances for internal committees and task force allowances.