The Kenyan government is moving forward with plans to tie civil servant salaries to performance, a bold reform spearheaded by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). The initiative, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service and Human Capital Development and the Office of the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, aims to boost productivity while reducing the growing public wage bill.
According to recent government data, the national wage bill currently accounts for 43 percent of total expenditure, down from 54 percent in 2017. Despite this progress, the government continues to grapple with high spending on salaries, particularly due to the essential recruitment of teachers, police officers, and military personnel.
SRC Commissioner Mohammed Aden, who chairs the Productivity and Performance Committee, noted that earlier measures such as hiring freezes and benefit cuts have not provided a long-term solution. He emphasized that the sustainable path forward lies in enhancing productivity both at the individual and institutional levels.
Under the proposed framework, all employees across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) will be assigned specific performance targets. Those who fail to meet their goals will be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for six to twelve months. Continued underperformance could result in disciplinary action, including possible dismissal.
The Ministry of Labour is currently working to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will be used to evaluate effectiveness and output across the public sector. Meanwhile, the SRC is developing reward frameworks for employees who consistently meet or exceed expectations.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has already directed MDAs to integrate productivity-focused indicators into their performance contracts, signaling the government’s commitment to making efficiency and accountability central to public service delivery.
