Gov’t Halts All Public Service Recruitment
Gov’t Halts All Public Service Recruitment
Gov’t Halts All Public Service Recruitment
In an effort to rein in the nation’s growing wage bill and ongoing expenses, the government has declared that all new and continuing hiring for public service will cease.
Moses K. Kuria, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management, disclosed this in a directive on Wednesday.
Kuria emphasized the urgency of the directive in a letter to Amb. Anthony Muchiri, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, writing, “This measure is critical in controlling runaway recurrent expenditures and aligning with austerity measures across government.”
According to CS Kuria, Kenya’s expenditure on public servant salaries, allowances, and benefits has exceeded sustainable levels, putting a strain on the country’s finances.
“Our current expenditure on salaries, allowances, and benefits for public servants exceeds sustainable levels, placing undue strain on our national finances and hindering our ability to allocate resources towards essential national priorities,”Kuria noted,.
He stated that during the employment suspension, the government will conduct a comprehensive audit and clean-up of public payrolls.
“In view of expected budget cuts in the ongoing budget rationalization, therefore, I urge you to halt any new recruitment and any that is ongoing and has not been concluded.” the letter reads.
A tripartite committee will be formed to oversee and evaluate recruitment initiatives, with representatives from the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, the Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning, and the Public Service Commission.
Future public sector hiring decisions, according to CS Kuria, will only take into account legitimate operational needs.
Kuria declared, “All new and ongoing recruitment, including public service interviews for shortlisted candidates, are to be halted immediately.” “Sincerely, any new hires in the public sector must be supported by actual operational requirements.”
He argued that the goal of this move is to stabilize Kenya’s economy and make sure that employment in the public sector matches the nation’s financial reality.
