NAIROBI — Kenya's largest civil servants' union has rejected the government's latest salary review, warning that it could organise the first nationwide strike in its history unless fresh negotiations are held.
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) says the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) acted unlawfully by issuing a circular outlining new salaries and benefits before ongoing negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) had been concluded.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, UKCS Secretary General Lawrence Nyaguti said the union had not been consulted before the SRC released the circular on July 17.
"The SRC acted unilaterally," Nyaguti said, arguing that the commission issued the circular despite negotiations still being underway. He maintained that the document reflected the government's position rather than a mutually agreed settlement with the union.
According to the union, salary negotiations remain incomplete because the CBA has not been signed. It argues that implementing new pay structures before the bargaining process is concluded undermines workers' constitutional right to collective bargaining.
Nyaguti said the union would challenge the decision in court if necessary and warned that members were prepared to take industrial action if the dispute remained unresolved.
"If our concerns are not addressed, we shall mobilise our members for what would be the first nationwide strike by civil servants in the history of the union," he said.
The dispute follows the SRC's approval of a new salary structure under the Fourth Remuneration Review Cycle. The changes, which take effect from July 1, provide salary increases across the public service, with the largest adjustments going to senior officers.
Under the revised scales, officers in Grade E4 will earn between KSh312,000 and KSh576,000 in monthly basic salary, while those in Grade E3 will receive up to KSh400,000 before house allowances.
Middle-level employees in Grades C1 to C5 will earn between KSh38,000 and KSh105,000 in basic monthly pay, while workers in the lowest Grade A3 will receive between KSh20,600 and KSh23,700, excluding house allowances, which vary depending on duty station.
Despite the increases, the union says the revised salaries do not reflect the rising cost of living facing public servants.
Nyaguti argued that many civil servants continue to struggle with the cost of housing, transport and essential goods, adding that meaningful negotiations should produce a package that better reflects current economic realities.
The standoff now sets the stage for a potential legal battle between the union and the SRC. If negotiations fail, it could also test labour relations across Kenya's public service at a time when the government is seeking to balance demands for higher wages with pressure to contain public expenditure.
For now, the union is insisting that the SRC withdraw the circular and return to the negotiating table before any new salary structure is implemented.