The civil service braces for a transition, with 43,976 civil servants slated for retirement over the next five years. The government will create at least 14,000 jobs by the end of this financial year in June 2025 if the directive issued by
President William Ruto for the implementation of the mandatory retirement of civil servants aged 60 is followed.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, in a press briefing on Thursday, August 22, pointed to the impact of this looming exodus, which will see at least 7,662 civil servants retire in the current financial year alone.
This substantial wave of retirements is drawn from various state departments, county executives, and county assemblies across the country. Data from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) reveals that the public service workforce numbered 923,100 in the 2020/2021 fiscal year.
With a significant portion of this workforce now approaching the mandatory retirement age, the government payroll for June 2024 already shows that 39,360 civil servants are expected to retire soon.
Mwaura highlighted that 7,477 civil servants have already exited the workforce between September 13, 2023, and June 30, 2024. This surge in retirements presents a unique opportunity for the youth, as the government prioritises filling these vacancies with younger talent.
“This year alone, over seven thousand job openings will be available for young people,” Mwaura announced, emphasising the government’s commitment to rejuvenating the public sector.
The anticipated retirements encompass both permanent pensionable employees and those on contracts, bringing the total number of job vacancies to an estimated 46,000 over the next five years. This transition
aligns with President William Ruto’s directive issued on July 5,
mandating that public servants aged 60 and above proceed to retirement without any extension of their tenure.
According to Public Service Commission (PSC) data, over 4,500 civil servants were aged 60 and above as of December 2023. An additional 25,879 employees, aged between 56 and 60 years, will reach retirement age within the next three years.
The PSC Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual, 2016, mandates retirement at age 60, with an allowance for persons with disabilities to extend their service until the age of 65.
Public universities are expected to be the hardest hit by these retirements, with at least 2,573 staff members aged above 60 years and another 3,362 nearing retirement. State corporations are also set to experience significant exits, with 1,081 employees already over 60 and 10,889 more set to retire within three years.
Ministries and state departments will see 775 employees retire this year, with another 10,407 expected to leave by the end of 2026. Constitutional commissions will lose 23 members of their workforce, while 348 others will exit over the next three years.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and statutory commissions will also see a small number of retirements.
The representation of officers aged 60 and above has risen to 1.8 per cent, up from 1.3 per cent in the 2021-22 financial year, reflecting an ageing public sector. Overall, those approaching or within the retirement bracket account for 12 per cent of the 253,318 officers in public service at present…CONTINUE READING>>
