The proposal to lower the retirement age for civil servants and teachers to 55 years has faced opposition from the Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC).
Currently, public servants and teachers are required to retire at the age of 60, with a later retirement age of 65 for individuals with disabilities.
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A legislative proposal has been presented to Parliament proposing a reduction in the statutory retirement age to 55.
Advocates of this proposal argue that it would create more opportunities for young individuals to advance professionally within the service.
However, SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich expressed disagreement with this proposal, emphasizing that the country’s mandatory retirement age should remain at 60.
A teacher in class in Kenya; Image/File
She pointed out that lowering the retirement age would increase the pension liability on taxpayers, resulting in a larger number of pension recipients.
Mengich highlighted the importance of considering global trends and the effectiveness of policies within the Kenyan context.
She noted that prematurely retiring individuals at 55, despite their continued productivity and experience, could hinder the country’s workforce.
The proposed Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to lower the retirement age to 55.
In 2009, the government revised the retirement age from 55 to 60, extending an additional five years for Kenyans with disabilities across the public sector.
This decision was made due to the government’s struggle with a significant pension burden resulting from an increasing number of retirees.
The bill, introduced by Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru, aims to amend the current Act by limiting officers’ tenure in acting positions to six months.
According to the National Treasury, pension and gratuity payments amounted to Sh69.22 billion in the six months leading up to December 2021.
A 2016 audit revealed that 35% of national government employees were between the ages of 51 and 60.
The Public Service Commission’s annual report for the Financial Year 2021/2022 indicated that a total of 3,958 officers exited the service across 47 ministries, departments, and agencies.
