Only public servants with disabilities will be considered for retention in service after attaining the mandatory age of retirement age.
Garissa County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich told government employees in the area that those who attain the mandatory age of retirement should vacate office unless with prior approval.
“Therefore, all officers who attain the mandatory retirement age of sixty years should vacate office unless with prior approval by the authorized officer due to other reasons i.e. disability,” he said in a memo.
He added requests to consider the officers for extension of service beyond the mandatory retirement age of 60 years are not consistent with the current policy and existing service circulars.
“It has been noted that retention of officers in service beyond the mandatory retirement age of 60 years has challenges in terms of parity of retirement and equity. This has, therefore, led to the need to discourage the requests and allow officers to retire as directed by authorities as per the above-quoted circulars,” he added in the February 6 memo.
Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Gender Aisha Jumwa also issued another memo on February 16, saying it has come to the attention of the ministry responsible for public service that public Officers who have attained the mandatory age as provided under the Public Service Commission Act are making numerous appeals to the Commission for an unjustified extension.
“Section 80(1) (a) and (b) of the Public Service Commission Act 2017 provides that a Public Officer shall retire from the service with effect from the date of attaining the mandatory retirement age. "
“The Commission or any other appointing authority shall not extend the service of such retired Public Officers beyond the mandatory age of 60 years and sixty-five (65) years for persons with disability,” she said.
She ordered that all extension review cases be suspended and any existing cases be revoked to enable proper legislation and succession management guidelines to be implemented across the public service.
Jumwa later explained she has noticed that many public sector offices are filled with workers who have reached the age-retirement requirements and ought to be sent home.
Jumwa added it has become a tradition that individuals who are past the retirement age get contract extensions yet younger people are grappling with the scarcity of job opportunities.
The PSC Act, 2017 says the mandatory retirement age in public service shall be 60 years and 65 years for persons with disability.
