At least 25,000 Kenyan civil servants may soon be jobless should a new retirement proposal see the light of the day.
Starehe Member of Parliament Charles Njagua commonly known as ‘Jaguar’ has filed a motion to reduce the retirement age to 50 years from the current 60 years.
The musician turned politician says the proposal is aimed at cutting the high number of unemployed youth in the country.
“This house urges the government to review the mandatory retirement age in the public service from the current 60 to 50 years to, among other things, create opportunities for the employment of the youth,” reads an excerpt of the motion.
In 2016,the Public Service Commission (PSC) said 31% or 25,000 of civil servants were above 50 years, but if the new policy were to be implemented the number affected would be slightly higher considering more have attained that age by now.
Implication of the Proposal
This new proposal that targets close to a half of the about 70,000 civil servants in the national government and thousands in counties is set to trigger anxiety in public offices as well as have far-reaching implications.
Should Kenyan MPs back the plan, such a drastic decision is sure to disrupt many households’ retirement plans not to mention burdening a Government already struggling with finances and a heavier pension bill.
Government ministries are also set to experience upheavals because some ministries or departments have succession management gaps that have prompted retention of staff beyond the mandatory retirement age to provide more time to mentor successors or recruit staff to replace those exiting through retirement.
It is also likely to cause unease in the private sector that also reflects guidelines in Government.
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