President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday announced that he had nominated former Kenya Power boss Ben Chumo to replace Sarah Serem at the Salaries and Remuneration Commision (SRC).
Serem and her team left office in December 2017 following the expiry of their term in office. She had served for six years since the commission was formed in 2011.
Chumo was among 11 other shortlisted candidates who had made t through the various checks made by the selection panel.
The Senate and the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) narrowed the list to two final candidates who were later forwarded to President Uhuru by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia.
[caption caption="Former Kenya Power MD Ben Chumo who was on June 27, 2018, appointed as SRC Chair "]
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SRC commissioners will be picked through criteria outlined in the Constitution where PSC, Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Senate and the Defence Council will forward nominees.
Other entities that will have representatives in the commission include trade unions, employers and professional bodies.
Treasury CS Henry Rotich, Attorney-General Paul Kihara and CS Kobia will also nominate one person each in accordance with the guidelines in the Constitution.
During her last speech as SRC Chair, Ms Serem noted: "You will recall the new MPs came into office in 2013 with a sense of entitlement as they were used to setting their own salaries as they deemed fit."
An argument that Deputy President William Ruto endorsed in stating: "All policy efforts of the last five years to bring down the wage bill are being eroded by the huge numbers in the public service. National and county governments should support harmonisation of salaries for public servants as part of the grand strategy to reduce the wage bill."
The president also picked former Meru Woman Representative Florence Kajuju to chair the Commission on Administrative Justice - Ombudsman with Washington Opiyo and Lucy Ndungu as members to the Commission.
Parliament's Justice and Legal Affairs committee now has 21 days to vet the nominees before they take the oath of office.
[caption caption="DP Ruto seated beside former Meru Woman Rep Florence Kajuju during a past event. Kajuju was nominated by the president to chair CAJ on June 27, 2018"]
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