Ruto orders review of scientists’ salaries to align with regional peers » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14—President William Ruto has tasked the Public Service Commission (PSC) with harmonizing the salaries of Kenyan scientists to match those of their regional counterparts.

The move aims to curb the brain drain caused by poor remuneration.

Speaking on Friday during the unveiling of Gede National Monument as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the National Museums of Kenya, Ruto directed the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, to collaborate with the PSC to address the pay disparities.

“We are not paying our scientists as we should. Many of them are under the public service, and there is a need to review their terms of service and salaries. I will get the Head of Public Service to identify a small team to assess what needs to be done so that we can match the remuneration of scientists in our region,” Ruto said.

The President also announced that the government would allocate Sh1 billion to expand facilities at the Nairobi National Museum and Uhuru Gardens.

Additionally, he pledged to fence and secure National Museums of Kenya sites across the country, which are vulnerable to land grabbing. The government will also partner with Kilifi County to fence the Gede National Monument.

Gede heritage site

Gede was inscribed as Kenya’s eighth UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2024.

Kenya’s other UNESCO heritage sites include the Lake Turkana National Parks, Mount Kenya National Park and Forest, Lamu Old Town, Fort Jesus, Lake Bogoria, Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site, and the Mijikenda Kaya Forests.

During the event, United Kingdom High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan handed over digital material from the colonial era to the Kenya National Archives. The material, which had been stored in British archives, dates from 1907 to 1968 and includes 2,658 files and over 300,000 images.

President Ruto welcomed the gesture, stating, “It consolidates the relationship between Kenya and the UK.”

He also reiterated the government’s commitment to investing in the tourism sector, which generated Sh352 billion in revenue in 2023 and attracted 2.1 million visitors.

“We are mobilizing resources to attract 5 million tourists annually by 2027,” he said.

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