New salary structure for public officers to be issued in June - SRC

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) will issue a new pay structure for all public officers in June, a Senate committee has been told.

SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich told the Senate Education Committee her team is currently reviewing the pay of public officers under the third remuneration review cycle.

Mengich announced that the review will include salaries of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers.

“In line with SRC's mandate of setting, reviewing and advising on the remuneration and benefits in the public service, SRC will continue to engage and respond to stakeholders as appropriate,” she said.

Pursuant to Section (11) of the SRC Act 2011, SRC set a four-year review cycle of remuneration and benefits in the public sector.

The first cycle covered the period between the years 2013-14-2016-17 and the second cycle covered the years 2017-18-2021-22.

Whilst SRC envisages that most jobs may not have significantly changed, it shall undertake the evaluation of new jobs and jobs identified by institutions to have significantly changed.

The outcome of the job evaluation shall be used in developing job grading structures.

During her presentation to the committee on Thursday, Mengich noted that during the 9th Summit held on 10-12, February 2023, in Naivasha it was agreed that county governments shall develop a framework on ECDE and seek advice from SRC on affordable remuneration and benefits.

Mengich had appeared before the committee to deliberate on the plight of ECDE teachers and caregivers in the counties.

In a circular purportedly issued by the SRC dated January 13, 2023, the commission directed county governments to implement the new grading and salary structures which proposes a pay cut of between Sh7,383 and Sh10,803.

Mengich dismissed the circular as erroneous and misleading.