- CS Kuria claims the move will help check the ballooning wage bill
- Experts warns against rushing the proposal
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Dissenting opinions continue to be voiced over the push by the government to have civil servants on contract terms, as a way of addressing the ballooning wage bill.
The proposal by Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has met resistance, with various stakeholders warning the move is dangerous.
Workers’ unions as well as political players have criticised the move, even as the government claims its coffers are exhausted by salary demands.
The unions over the weekend threatened to lead the 'mother of all strikes' should the cabinet approve the proposal.
Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako said any move to disadvantage their members will not be taken lying down .
“He (Kuria) cannot wake up one morning and say he is going to put all employees on contract,” Panyako said.
“The day the idea will be approved by cabinet, we will paralyse all sectors of this country. Even cleaners at State House will not report to work.”
Cotu boss Francis Atwoli said they will do everything to ensure such an idea does not see the light of the day.
“Some of these people landed jobs without the requisite (industry) knowledge, it is our duty to correct you,” Atwoli said.
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers George Gibore said the CS has no powers to alter the terms of service of government employees.
Concurring, governance expert Javas Bigambo said the proposal is not well thought out and may be counterproductive.
“Such a transitioning should not be expedited in the manner that he is suggesting. It needs to be possibly phased and categorisation of the groups like who is on permanent and who is not,” Bigambo said on phone.
The governance expert explained there ought to be classification to guide the process, as some critical sectors should remain on permanent and pensionable terms.
“There are certain groups that offer essential services who are not supposed to be on contract like police, military and doctors amongst others,” he said.
“If the issue is the wage bill that should be sustained, why is it that we are not talking about the allowances of top level civil servants because it is their allowances that gobble up most of the amounts.”
While addressing residents of Gem at Rambula over the weekend, Siaya Governor James Orengo dismissed the proposal, describing it as impractical.
“Such an idea has never worked anywhere worldwide and it will not work in Kenya, even if it’s fronted by the cabinet secretary,” Orengo said.
The governor questioned how the idea would be implemented in some of the sensitive departments of the government, such as the military.
“Imagine a soldier in a bandit-prone area or in Haiti fighting for the country, and in the middle of the war, he is informed that his contract has expired. What will happen is as good as anyone’s guess,” Orengo said.