Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku says many government workers in Kenya are underpaid, citing limited revenue and a stretched wage bill as key obstacles to improving their compensation.

In a Wednesday interview with NTV, Ruku said that although Kenya has about 1 million public servants serving a population of over 55 million, many of them earn less than their private sector counterparts.

“Most public servants are not paid enough, compared to their peers in the private sector,” Ruku said, adding that the government’s current revenue is insufficient to support better pay.

He noted a need to raise more revenue to sustain the public service, which he described as crucial for creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investment.

“The challenge is with the 1 million, the wage bill is already high so that means we need to think about how to raise our revenues,” he noted.

Ruku also suggested that the public service workforce may need to expand to about 3 million in order to meet the country’s development and service delivery needs.

Recent data from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) shows that only six counties meet the wage-bill-to-revenue ratio threshold of not more than 35 percent prescribed in the Public Finance Management Act of 2012.

Per the salary regulator’s wage bill bulletin of the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year (October to December 2024), Nakuru, Kwale, Busia, Tana River, Narok, and Kilifi meet the ideal ratio out of the 47 counties.

SRC notes that the National government’s proportion of personnel emoluments is within the legal ceiling.

The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) accounts for the highest share of the wage bill at 33.8 percent in 2023/24, followed by the national government at 27.12 percent.

SRC says the least wage bill spending is accounted for by CFS (salaries and wages) at 0.31 percent, and State corporations at 4.7 percent in the 2023/24 fiscal year.

CS Ruku, however, warned that without reforms to increase state revenue, both expansion and fair compensation for public officials remain out of reach.