Inside pay hike for chiefs and civil servants

National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) will earn the long-sought security risk allowance and have their basic salaries significantly increased if the proposed 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) sails through the remaining stages.

The pay agreement will see thousands of civil servants receive a basic salary increase, with the lowest earners of Sh21,700 moving to Sh28,690, and the highest from Sh396,130 to Sh451,494. This translates to an increment of between Sh6,990 to Sh55,364.

However, implementation of the new payment plan will be staggered in three phases, with the last payment set for 2028.

Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) Secretary General Lawrence Nyaguti on Wednesday revealed that negotiations on the pay deal allowances are still ongoing but the union and the Public Service Commission reached an agreement on the basic salary component.

This means while the salary increments are effectively settled, the allowances remain proposals and could still be adjusted before final adoption.

Among the key proposals is an increase in housing allowance, with the lowest earners set to move from Sh3,400 to Sh6,000; nearly double. 

Commuter allowance could also rise from Sh3,800 to Sh5,000 for the lowest-earning civil servants.

At the same time, the union is seeking to introduce new allowances, most notably a security operations risk allowance for NGAOs.

This would range from Sh7,000 for the lowest earners to as much as Sh40,000 for senior officers, aligning their compensation with the risks they face during security operations.

The proposal stems from concerns that while police officers benefit from such allowances, NGAOs, who often participate in similar operations, have been left out despite facing comparable dangers.

In addition, the union is pushing for the introduction of a health risk allowance for civil servants exposed to hazardous working conditions.  They include officers handling fingerprint chemicals in registry departments, personnel involved in ammunition cleaning, and workers in government printing services who are exposed to industrial chemicals. 

Employees ranked in Job Group CSG 4 will, at the end of the four-year CBA implementation in July 2028, earn a minimum basic salary of Sh215,802, up from the current Sh185,690, an increase of Sh30,112. Those at the top of the salary scale will earn a maximum basic salary of Sh451,494, up from Sh396,130, representing an increase of Sh55,364.

Those in Job Group CSG 5 will see their minimum basic salary rise from Sh155,930 to Sh182,470, an increase of Sh26,540. The maximum basic salary will increase from Sh292,490 to Sh335,418, translating to a Sh42,928 increment.

Workers in Job Group CSG 6 will earn a minimum basic salary of Sh134,870 by July 2028, up from the current Sh113,430, an increase of Sh21,440. Their maximum basic salary will rise from Sh185,690 to Sh215,802.

Employees in Job Group CSG 7 will have their minimum basic salary increased from Sh94,120 to Sh113,243, a gain of Sh19,123. The maximum basic salary will rise from Sh142,590 to Sh167,530, an increase of Sh24,940.

Those in Job Group CSG 8 will earn a minimum basic salary of Sh66,000, up from Sh59,010, representing an increase of Sh6,990. The maximum basic salary will increase from Sh103,440 to Sh110,560, a gain of Sh7,120.

And those in Job Group CSG 9 will see their minimum basic salary rise from Sh47,900 to Sh54,890, an increase of Sh6,990. The maximum basic salary will increase from Sh67,750 to Sh74,950, representing a Sh7,200 increment.

Non-negotiable demands

Employees in Job Group CSG 10 will earn a minimum basic salary of Sh50,190 up from the current Sh43,200. The maximum basic salary will also increase by Sh6,990, rising from Sh59,010 to Sh66,000.

Workers in Job Group CSG 11 will have their minimum basic salary increase from Sh36,200 to Sh43,190, an increase of Sh6,990. Their maximum basic salary will also rise by Sh6,990, from Sh47,900 to Sh54,890.

The Field Security Operations Risk Allowance could reach up to Sh40,000 per month for top officers. Those in lower job grades are proposed to receive Sh7,000 monthly.

Under the proposal, UKCS has tabled a raft of non-negotiable demands in the ongoing negotiations, touching on allowances, welfare, and career progression for members.

Nyaguti said the union is pushing for security operations allowance and enhanced house allowance to cushion low earners. He said house allowance should be raised to align with the monthly pay requirements under the affordable housing programme.

The union also demands a review of commuter allowances to reflect the rising cost of fuel.

Nyaguti raised concerns over the fate of interns engaged by the government, calling for their automatic absorption into permanent employment upon completion of one-year contracts, similar to the model used by Teachers Service Commission. 

“It is unfair to engage them for a year and not confirm them. They should be absorbed into service after completing the internship,” he said.

It is also pushing for career progression reforms, including the movement of officers who have stagnated in one job group to the next grade, as well as the harmonisation of salaries across the public sector.

On hardship allowances, Nyaguti said there is an urgent need to align payments, noting that some regions, including Samburu and at least six other counties, remain excluded despite being classified as hardship areas by other commissions. 

The union is also seeking to align paternity and maternity leave with other public sector players, proposing an extension of paternity leave from two weeks to one month, and maternity leave to four months.

Additionally, UKCS wants the introduction of a disturbance allowance for civil servants who are transferred from one region to another. Nyaguti said the allowance should apply to employees moved within a year of their last transfer to help them meet relocation costs.