PSC opposes move to increase retirement age for public servants

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is opposed to a circular issued by the Head of Public Service, Dr. Joseph Kinyua seeking to increase the age of retirement for senior pubic officers.

Speaking whene he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee in the National Assembly, acting PSC Chair Peter Nkuraiyia said they had already written to Dr. Kinyua and held discussions with him on the matter.

Nkuraiyia told members of the committee that the move to increase the retirement age sought to protect senior officers serving on contract and are set to attain the retirement age of 60 before their contract runs out.

He however said Dr. Kinyua would issue another circular on the retirement age issue.

The acting PSC chair also called on the committee to recommend to the government to lift the 10-year freeze on employment.

“The problem we are facing as a country is the freeze on employment, the youths who are coming from universities can be absorbed because of the freeze that is the predicament we have,” he said.

This is despite members raising concerns over the high wage bill that the government has been trying to deal with.

The commission has however defended the hiring of Cuban doctors saying the personnel who will be flying into the country are specialists in different fields.