Proposal to lower public service retirement age to 55
Parliament seeks to reduce the public service retirement age from 60 to 55 in order to create more opportunities for the youth
Parliament seeks to reduce the public service retirement age from 60 to 55 in order to create more opportunities for the youth.
Members of Parliament (MPs) have put forward a proposal to lower the retirement age for public service workers from 60 to 55 years.
The MPs argue that this move would create more opportunities for the youth to access jobs in the public sector.
The proposal is contained in the Public Service Commission Amendment Bill, 2023, which is sponsored by Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru.
The bill was tabled in the National Assembly’s Labour Committee on Tuesday and is expected to be debated in the House soon.
And on Thursday, Members of the Labor Committee unanimously endorsed the Bill saying this would help create more jobs in the public service.
It also seeks to amend the Public Service Commission Act, of 2017, to limit the duration of acting appointments in the public service to six months.
The bill states that no public service officer shall serve in an acting capacity for more than six months unless there are exceptional circumstances.
The bill’s sponsor, Gathiru, said that the current practice of having public service officers serving in acting capacities for long periods was unfair and demoralizing to other qualified officers.
He said that the bill would ensure that acting appointments are made only when necessary and for a short period.
The bill, however, faces opposition from some quarters, including the Public Service Commission (PSC) and some civil society groups.
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The PSC has opposed the proposal to reduce the retirement age, saying that it would have adverse effects on public service.
The PSC said that reducing the retirement age would lead to a loss of experienced and skilled personnel, increased pension liabilities, reduced productivity and performance, and increased unemployment among older workers.
Some civil society groups have also criticized the bill, saying that it would not address the root causes of youth unemployment and underemployment in Kenya.
They said that the bill would only benefit a few political cronies who want to secure jobs in public service.
Currently, under the PSC Act, officers who have hit their retirement ages can be engaged if they possess rare knowledge and skills, if they are willing to be engaged on contract, and if their performances cannot be impaired by age.
The retirement age for civil servants was increased in 2009 from 55 to 60 years.
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