President William Ruto on Wednesday, August 16, exposed a prevalent vice in government where senior managers award themselves higher salaries than those set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Speaking during the 8th Devolution Conference in Uasin Gishu County, the Head of State wondered why some government bigwigs earn higher salaries than his Ksh1.4 million pay packet, revealing that this malpractice is most rampant within government parastatals.
He particularly highlighted that even heads of institutions, like university vice-chancellors, have been discovered to be earning salaries surpassing his own.
As outlined by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the president occupies the highest-paid role among civil servants, commanding a monthly salary of Ksh 1,443,750. This sum does not encompass specific benefits, like a Ksh 10 million-valued inpatient health cover, among other benefits.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is the second earner with Ksh1.2 million.
Ruto's disclosure sheds light on the extensive extent of misconduct among certain civil servants, with some of them earning over Ksh 16.8 million annually.
"You even ask yourself what it is that these people are doing that is so big. That is a conversation that we are going to have," he stated.
Nonetheless, Ruto refrained from identifying the specific individuals who have been inflating their salaries beyond the SRC's recommendations.
Consequently, the President asserted his commitment to eradicating such impunity, which he emphasised has adverse effects on the quality of public service.
"Any person implicated in the loss of public funds whether in the national or county government will face punitive consequences of their action in full. I expect the agencies to move with speed to address the graft," he stated.
President Ruto in June expressed his frustrations over cases where some state officials were found to be taking home more than Ksh2 million per month.
Regarding the impacted universities, the Head of State pointed out that the Vice-Chancellors (VCs) collude with council leaders to raise their salaries.
