SRC Hosts 3rd Conference To Reduce Wage Bill As Doctors' Salary Demands Persist

• The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) commenced the third wage bill conference in Nairobi, aiming to realign the national wage bill with constitutional requirements
• SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich emphasised the conference's goal to produce resolutions conducive to achieving a 35% public wage bill to revenue ratio
• The wage bill conference coincides with a nationwide doctors' strike, severely impacting public healthcare services

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than three years of financial, business, and technology research expertise, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.

Nairobi — Today, April 15, 2024, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) kicked off the third wage bill conference, seeking to align the national wage bill with the constitutional requirements.

Speaking during the conference's opening, SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich said that the conference is expected to produce resolutions for a sustainable wage bill.

"The outcome expected at this conference are resolutions towards 35% public wage bill to revenue ratio, thus setting Kenya on the course to reaping the benefits of a fiscally affordable and sustainable wage bill," said Mengich.

What is the national wage bill in Kenya?

According to the constitution, the national wage bill should not exceed 35% of national revenue; however, it currently stands at 47%.

"The wage bill to ordinary revenue ratio has declined from 54.77% in FY 2020/2021 to 47.06% in FY 2021/2022, and is projected to reduce further to 46.64% in FY 2022/2023", said John Monyoncho, SRC commissioner.

Doctors remain on strike over salaries

The wage bill conference comes at a time when public healthcare services are paralysed by a doctors' strike.

President William Ruto addressed the matter, restating 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).

Instead of the KSh 206,000 promised in the 2017 CBA, the government is now offering medical interns a monthly gross wage of KSh 40,000 to 70,000.

How much do medical interns earn in Kenya

A Kenyan lady who recently completed her internship as a doctor shared her payslip, showing her KSh 206,000 gross salary before the recent government pay cut.

The lady said she completed her internship in January this year and disclosed that she earned a KSh 206k gross salary, which translated to KSh 139k after taxes and deductions.

Speaking to Citizen TV, the doctor also detailed the role of intern doctors, insisting that KSh 70,000 is not a fair compensation for interns who work long hours in hospitals.

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