Members of Parliament have approved new regulations that could reshape how public servants are paid, in a move aimed at taming Kenya’s ballooning wage bill and ending years of pay disparities across State agencies.
- •The National Assembly have backed the Draft Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Regulations, 2025, giving the Salaries and Remuneration Commission fresh legal backing to enforce uniform pay structures, regulate allowances and align public sector wages with the country’s fiscal realities.
- •The approval follows a recommendation by the House Committee on Delegated Legislation, whose chairperson Samuel Chepkong’a told lawmakers the revised rules had addressed constitutional and procedural gaps that led to the collapse of earlier attempts.
- •At the heart of the new framework is a push to eliminate what MPs described as a “haphazard” and often opaque system of salary setting that has long fuelled inequalities and strained the national budget.
“We found that the regulations are constitutional and in accordance with the enabling law. They will ensure fairness, transparency and responsibility in how public officers are paid,” Chepkong’a said.
The regulations introduce structured job evaluations, standardised salary bands and tighter controls on allowances, historically a major driver of inflated compensation in government.
Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch said the changes would bring clarity and legal certainty to remuneration decisions.
“These regulations now provide clear principles and criteria, fully aligned with the Constitution. It is time we restored order in how public pay is determined,” he said.
Lawmakers framed the reforms as a necessary intervention to protect taxpayers from unsustainable wage growth, with the public wage bill consuming a significant share of government revenue.
Nyando MP Jared Okello said the new regime would correct long-standing imbalances.
“Public officers have endured disparities for too long. This creates uniformity and predictability,” he said.
Nominated MP Esther Passaris supported the measures but cautioned against undermining worker morale.
“A fair wage is not a cost, it is an investment in dignity and service delivery,” she said, urging authorities to strike a balance between fiscal discipline and employee welfare.
The approval marks the end of a protracted tussle between the SRC and key State agencies over control of public sector pay.
A previous version of the regulations was rejected in 2022 after concerns over inadequate consultation with powerful commissions, including the Teachers Service Commission, Public Service Commission and Judicial Service Commission.
The current framework, MPs said, has had broader stakeholder consensus, reducing the risk of fresh legal challenges.
Under the new rules, the SRC will have clearer authority to enforce harmonised pay structures across all public institutions, regulate allowances and benefits, align salary reviews with national budget cycles and ensure compensation remains fiscally sustainable.
