Teachers are civil servants will now have to get prepared as a bill to change their mandatory retirement age gets introduced in parliament.
The Kenya Kwanza government is now determined to make sure the aged public officers leave service to pave way for the youth.
A parliamentary debate on reducing the mandatory retirement age from the current 60 years to 55 to give young people an opportunity to be employed in the public service starts in earnest.
Those approaching fifty five years will be trained on life after retirement before being exited from the payroll upon reaching age fifty five.
Those with fifty five years and over were already trained but will be notified of the changes before being retired.
On Thursday 3rd August 2023, the National Assembly’s Labour committee, while considering the Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023, had said it will introduce an amendment to the proposed legislation to cap the retirement age at 55.
The Bill sponsored by Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru also seeks to amend the current Act by prescribing that no officer should be in any acting capacity beyond six months.
Kangundo MP Fabian Muli said if the committee is to serve the interest of the youth, then it should propose further amendments to the Bill to reduce the retirement age.
“We need to think further and reduce the age to 55 to make the youth of this country proud,” Mr Muli said.
Muli had declared that should the committee fail to factor in the age reduction amendment, he would propose the change as an individual.
Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga said the committee needs to amend the necessary legal provisions on the retirement age.
“We need to get to know how the 60 years retirement age was arrived at so that we can amend those provisions,” Mr Chonga said.
Lunga Lunga MP Mangale Munga, while supporting the reduction of the retirement age, said there is a need to cater for the growth of young people.
“Why 60 years? It should be made 55 years old so as to make space for the young people. That is a proposal, it might be popular or unpopular but that is what I think,” Mr Munga said.
Mr Gathiru said: “I have given the committee leeway to amend the Bill but we should not lose the meaning and its intention,” Mr Gathiru said.
If the proposals sail through, it will mean that the majority of civil servants expected to retire in the next five years will go home earlier, a move that will have far-reaching implications, including burdening a government already struggling with finances through a heavier pension bill.
The mandatory retirement age was in 2009 raised from 55 to 60 years as the government struggled to cope with a growing pensions bill.
The National Treasury paid out Sh69.22 billion in pension and gratuity in the six months to December 2021
A 2016 audit showed that 35 per cent of employees in the national government were aged between 51 and 60 years.
According to the Public Service Commission (PSC) annual report for the Financial Year 2021/2022, a total of 3,958 officers exited the service in 47 ministries departments and agencies.T
he Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023 proposes that a person may be appointed in acting capacity for a period of at least 30 days but not exceeding six months.
According to the proposed legislation, a person will only be appointed to hold a public office in acting capacity after meeting all qualifications for that particular officer.
“An acting appointment shall be in favour of a public officer who is duly qualified and competent to perform the duty and not undermine the expeditious appointment or deployment of a competent person to the public office concerned,” reads the Bill
If one is appointed in acting capacity without the requisite qualifications, such appointment will be revoked by the Public Service Commission immediately.
In February 2023 the then CS Public Service Commission, Aisha Jumwa, had ordered immediate stoppage of extension of service for retired officers.
This came at a time when Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was on a tendency of extending service for retired headteachers and principals.
“Section 80(1) (a) and (b) of the Public Service Commission Act 2017 provides that a Public Officer shall retire from the service with effect from the date of attaining the mandatory retirement age.
The Commission or any other appointing authority shall not extend the service of such retired Public Officers beyond the mandatory age of 60 years and sixty-five (65) years for persons with disability,” said Jumwa in a circular dated 16th February 2023.
She further ordered the existing extensions be revoked with immediate effect.
“The purpose of this letter is to request that all extension review cases be suspended and any existing eases be revoked to enable proper legislations and succession management guidelines be implemented across the Public Service,” she said.
Members of Parliament should also follow suit of retiring at age 55
I support the Bill 100%, but the amendment should be that all politicians, should retire at the same age of 55 so as to pave way for young politicians. This means that no politician should be cleared to view after attaining the age of 50, because this will mean a bye election will be held before the end of the 5- year term
Good news but it should cover all the three arms of government including senile MPs
Fake government
Yes I propose that MPs to also retire on the 55 age. Kibaki was not so foolish to extend the retirement age for his economic purposes and created other avenues for the absorption of youths.
I fully support
Before retiring teachers and civil servants abruptly, which can lead to psychological problems to many, the MPs should also leave politics at the age of 55 and also legislate to reduce the number of MPs in Parliament. The MPs should also possess higher educational qualifications to vie for the position of MP because currently many of them are useless; just eating tax payers money and stealing CDF money through dubious projects and fictitious bursaries.
Why don’t we reduce the retirement age to 35 years so that many youth can get jobs and the old go into suffering and then death?
Everybody employed or in politics in the soil of Kenya should retire at 55. Including the one mps who are taking the motion to parliament
TRUE EVEN THEM TO STOP POLITICAL POSITIONS AT 55YEARS AND LEAVE FOR YOUTH.
I know teachers who were employed at 40 . If the bill goes through will retire after working I. Stagnation for 15 years!
I know teachers who were employed at 40 . If the bill goes through will retire after working and wallowing in a mud pool of Stagnation for 15 years!
Let mps not rush to reduce the retirement age of civil servants.civil servants at that age are still very young and now at their most vibrant years.Should such a thing happen then the public especially those nearing 50year will work tirelessly around the clock to see that parliament is also sat by young people at the age of forty years only.Agood government should look at ways of creating jobs for the youth instead of making those getting older more miserable
What is the average age of Kenya’s parliamentarians. They too should retire at 55 to pave for the youth. Principle of equity and equality
Teachers and Civil Servants must resist this Satanic and simplistic reasoning by the MPigs. Instead of finding ways to create real employment, they are engaging in a game of moving the goal posts. What will happen to those who had taken long term loans? What will happen to those who had plans of up to 60 years?
Kenya has gone to the wild dogs,very many breadwinners will die prematurely out of stress and depression.
Even the president should also retire at 55 years and pave way for young people,including the MPS ,Governors,senators and any other politician ,in the government,not reducing retirement age for only the teachers and civil servants only,even them should be inclusive
Government should create employment for it’s people not to simplify shift income from one age group to another. They youth will carry a heavy burden of taking care of their elders, this is myopic.
Why only teachers and civil servants to be retired at 55yrs? Kwani government parastatals officers, politicians, state commissioners are not government employees?? If the bill sails through, then they should also retire at 55 yrs so as to pave way for the youths.
The bill is good but should look at the pros and cons of the same. Just like the new pension scheme ( superannuation pension scheme) which considered teachers below 45 years, this one should also be effected gradually. I know many teachers at 55 yrs and have taken loans of 4yrs. How do you expect them to pay their loans if they exit service?
Good idea at wrong time when things have fallen apart economically
This is the only way others will benefit ,mostly the youth it happen in other institution at 45 even so 55 is okay
It should apply to all and sundry.Let them factor someone employed at 45 then only works for 5yrs …yet someone is still in office at 70yrs damn!
Let it cut across board!
Even mps to follow the suit
What about those teachers employed at the age of 40years. This will kill teachers pyschologically
Employment for teachers is at 55 yrs.How ? .Let’s have a mature Gvt
This Gvt will teach us lessons.Keep ur vote .
Idiots think by reducing retirement age all Kenyans will get jobs as if the elderly are not Kenyans shame on them
Anyone affected to accept,hope from God and move on. Sadist and malicious people are in power period.
The Govt will find it rough to pay a huge number of employees their pension at this time when they are crying of being stressed economically President Kibaki shifted from 55 to 65 just because the Govt was unable to pay the majority of government employees their pension because so many of them were retiring at the same time.
It must apply to all civil servants,,
Vijana wanaumia
It must apply to all civil servants,,
Vijana wanaumia,,
Even. Ministers somebody like machogu should retire
Teachers are a challenge to them because however little money a teacher is paid, it is put into meaningful use, and they educate their children quite well. Even if teachers retire at 40, most of them have learnt life skills which will enable them continue surviving. Lastly, most teachers live in rural areas where no rents are applicable. A teacher will milk her cow, get vegetables from her garden, fetch water from a well, collect firewood from her trees, and sleep in her house. Teachers should not worry.
The reasons that made retirement to be pushed from 55 to60 still obtains
As long as they are ready to clear even the financial commitments with other institutions such as banks and Saccos that the teachers and other civil servants may have made, we have no objection. They should be reminded that many creditors make use of retirement age to calculate the credit worthiness especially for check off loans extended to civil servants.
All Kenyans working in public service and politicians should retire at 55 years.Good for all.
Those 50 years and above should be allowed to complete their terms and those below 49 years then this demonic rule can start but across all government employees including the president,MPs,cs anybody paid by the government.The government should give the pensions immediately and employee retires.
It’s a good and great idea but the mover must think beyond
Already there are workers above 55 and politicians above 70. All earning tax payers money must retire at 55
Mps are not serious. They should lead by example retiring at 55 and also reduce their numbers in parliament and salary that are burdening the mama mboga.
Are these MPs considering the loans these teachers and civil servants have? These loans have been spread to cover the duration remaining before they exit the service.My view, which ofcourse is not sought, those at 55 plus, should retire at 60,to allow them service the loans comfortably.
Are these MPs considering the loans these teachers and civil servants have? These loans have been spread to cover the duration remaining before they exit the service.My view, which ofcourse is not sought, those at 55 plus, should retire at 60,to allow them service the loans comfortably.
Why change retirement age?making people jobless because of youth.Why can’t you create jobs for them?mmechukua house levy ,sasa mwataka niache kazi.Mungu atusaidie.
Why change retirement age?making people jobless because of youth.Why can’t you create jobs for them?mmechukua house levy ,sasa mwataka niache kazi.Mungu atusaidie.
Members of Parliament should not determine the retirement age for civil servants instead leave this to technocrats, the commissions regulating the civil service and other stakeholders.
The idea of retiring the civil servants and teachers abruptly without notice can be disastrous to many. It would display a high level of a disorganized government that is selfish and evil. God in heaven knows the intention is not good. You cannot please one group at the expense of another. May God bring sanity and sobriety in Kenya so that she doesn’t go up in smoke
Why only teachers and civil servants must include the politicians
I thought youth also needed jobs held by politicians! We should also not vote anyone above 50!Jobs for youth have to be created by all and sundry. Or it’s the animals farm?
This will not create employment for youth but improverish thousands of civil servants who are already struggling under tough economic times.
Retirement should be a smooth process and orderly to allowing for proper protection of civil servants welfare.
We need to also think of the huge numbers of mps and senators and even consider merging some counties.
The same teachers voted for this government,and I know they will vote for it again in 2027,kenya is like a zoo with kinds of animals
Let our mps support the motion because for sure those affected by that age I’m sure will never vote any old politician and our economy will grow.
The wage bill in kenya is accelerated by corruption,recycling of elderly politicians into government parastals embassies ocastrated by the same Methuselan politicians.
They believe everyone else become redundant and senile at 55yrs except themselves. Shame on them.
The senile KNUT sec.Gec.Koyoo and politician Omboko Milemba should also come out on this.
I thought you should know
True if they pass this bill we shall mobilize the youth and tell them not to vote mpigs who are above 50 years they should follow suit.
Fake
If teachers and civil servants are to retire at 55yrs every other person living in Kenya should retire at 55yrs starting with the president and the legislature
Trs working at the age of 60 can’t be the reason as to why youth in this country are not getting employment.It is the curruption whose mother is the government.why ghost workers?Are the aged trs the ones making promotion delays?
This one is dead on arrival
No problem but we extend the same yo politicians.no old man will come and rule again. nonsense
Terms of employment should also be a point to consider for the newly employed and incoming so as to motivate them.
Instead of age limit, Civil servants should retire after serving the govt for a specific number of years like 10, 15, 20 or 25
Instead of age limit, Civil Servants should retire after serving the govt for a specific number of years like 10, 15, 20 or 25
No problem. But again this should be spread all across. Everyone should be locked out at 55 including politicians. They are not special. Infact they are a burden to this country gobbling every coin without any tangible results. Politics is not a career. They should all go to hell.
My dear MPs think deeply about your decision, Are teachers the only workers in the civil service or public sector.your salaries and allowances if reduced can create jobs for the Ghanaian youth.If you think it’s a constitutional right and can be amended yours can also be amended through that same constitutional right.
This is madness of the highest order.Those who came up with the current retirement age had their wise considerations.We never had a wise and Economist President like Honourable Kibaki.Current MPs who are inexperienced should respect decision made there before.
There were good and wise considerations from those who decided on retirement age.Remember the decision was led by Late Hon.Kibaki whom we all need to emulate.A wise and Economist President we ever had in our Republic of Kenya.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
All the teachers who are still wasting time living behind shops in dusty market centers should wake up and start preparing to set up their homes before they find themselves retiring from TSC empty handed