Moses Kuria Wants All Govt Workers Employed On Contractual Basis To Tame Strikes

• Kenya's doctor strike, which began on March 14, 2024, entered its 40th day on Tuesday, April 23, 2024
• The medics downed their tools after the government failed to implement the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on payment and other terms of service
• Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria said he will be moving a proposal to end this strike and other future happenings
• Kuria said if the Cabinet approves the proposal, all government workers' terms of employment will be changed from permanent to contractual

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia brings over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Civil servants could lose their jobs should a new proposal by CS Moses Kuria see the light.

The Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary (CS) announced plans to take a proposal to the Cabinet, requiring a change in all public workers' terms of service from permanent to temporal.

Why Moses Kuria wants all government jobs to be temporary

Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday, April 23, Kuria cited the recommendations of the wage bill conference 2024, which sought to reduce the national wage bill from 47% to 35%.

"There's something wrong when one million public servants take over 50% of the total revenue collected.

"If the doctors think that we are against them, I will present a proposal to the cabinet, which if approved, all government workers from drivers, to cleaners and everybody, will be converted to contracts. There's not going to be anybody permanent anymore," said Moses Kuria.

Kuria noted that the proposal if approved, will convert all civil servants from permanent and pensionable to contract and pensionable.

The CS said the proposal aims at ensuring productivity in government service delivery.

What's different between permanent and temporary jobs?

A permanent job refers to a position either in the government or private sector where the employee has no defined employment end date.

Permanent employees receive a package of benefits, including medical insurance, house allowance, transport, etc.

A temporary or contractual job term gives a defined duration of employment with an end date.

Contractual jobs do not offer the packages, but depending on the employee group, some temporary positions will come with an additional payment in lieu of certain benefits.

Why are Kenya doctors on strike?

Kuria's pronouncement came as the countrywide doctors' strike hits its 40th day since March 13, 2024.

Moses Kuria said the proposal aims at ending the doctors' strike and any other industrial action from civil servants in the future.

President William Ruto maintained that the government could not meet the salary of doctors, as agreed upon in the 2017 collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke