Public servants, including President William Ruto and his administration, take home 48 percent of their total earnings in allowances, according to Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) chairperson Lyn Mengich. The commission revealed this through an official statement on its X page, noting that the percentage is the highest ever recorded.
A 2019 SRC report found that the public service now has 247 types of allowances, up from just 31 in 1999, 78 in 2006, and 156 in 2014. This significant growth in paid allowances has contributed to what is being called an “unsustainable wage structure,” consuming nearly half of the overall compensation for public servants.
SRC identified several factors worsening the burden, including continued payment of abolished allowances, those linked to basic salary, and the emergence of unexplained or “mystery” allowances. The wage bill is estimated to have reached Ksh1.17 trillion as of June 2024. Additionally, public servants received an extra Ksh24.8 billion in salaries between July 2023 and March 2024.
The SRC emphasized the need for standardization and stricter control over allowances to manage the increasing financial strain on the country.
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