Gov’t suspends hiring in Public Service over budget cuts

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has suspended further employment of civil servants.

In a circular, the CS directed the Public Service Commission to halt new and ongoing recruitment, including ongoing interviews for shortlisted candidates in public service.

Kuria announced that any future hiring in the public sector will be justified by genuine operational needs.

The move has been necessitated by the prevailing austerity measures announced by the President occasioned by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 and also in compliance with the Public Finance Management Act 2012 which provides that Kenya’s public Wage bill should not exceed 35 percent of the national budget.

Consequently, a tripartite committee consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, the Ministry of National Treasury and Economic Planning and the Public Service Commission will be formed to evaluate the ongoing recruitment initiatives.

During the suspension of employment, the government will audit and clean all public payrolls.

“In view of expected budget cuts in the ongoing budget rationalization therefore, I urge you to halt any new recruitment and any that is ongoing and has not been concluded. During the suspension of employment, the government will conduct audit and clean all public payrolls” the CS said

“The purpose of this letter is to request you to suspend new and ongoing recruitment, including ongoing interviews for shortlisted candidates in public service, as you await the establishment of the tripartite committee to clear the most critical requests in line with the fiscal reality in the country” he added.

The circular has been copied to the Chief of Staff and the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u, and Principal Secretary State Department for Public Service Amos Gathecha.

During the 2024/25 Budget presentation to Parliament on 13th June 2024, CS Ndung’u froze government hiring for one year to control runaway recurrent expenditures and align with austerity measures across the government.