By Lauryne Akoth
Moses Kuria, the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management, has unveiled intentions to transition all civil servants’ employment terms to contractual arrangements.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kuria noted that the move was intended to enhance productivity and in alignment with the National Wage Bill, noting that 1 million public servants consume over 50% of the tax revenue.
The CS mentioned that he will be moving to the cabinet this week on Friday to table a proposal to ensure all government workers are on a contractual basis.
” If the doctors think we are against them, this week on Friday I will be moving to cabinet to present a proposal which if cabinet approves, all government workers at least at the national government, CoG can speak for county government, will be converted to contracts.”
Kuria noted that the change would take effect on all government employees including employees such as cleaners and drivers.
” There is not going to be anybody permanent anymore. If you want to be permanent, show me that even on earth your tenure is permanent, we are all on a contract basis even on this earth,” Kuria stated.
He mentioned that under the proposal, civil servants’ contracts would be converted from permanent and pensionable to contract but still pensionable.
The CS also expressed his displeasure with how the public and the media handled the doctors’ industrial action citing double standards.
” The media and the country have been saying again and again that the government needs to respect court orders, I was expecting the public, and especially you in the media, to equally hold the doctors to the same threshold of responsibility that you hold us,” said Kuria.
He lamented stating that the doctors have flouted court orders three times yet the media, public, and civil society did not hold them accountable. ” If it was the government, that cou;d have been a different story,” lamented Kuria.
Kuria also defended the health CS Susan Nakhumicha stating that there have been a lot of personalization of issues.
“I have been around several CSs for Health and in those regimes there were industrial actions but for those Ministers, matters were restricted to the issues at hand. But for my sister, there has been a lot of personalization of issues. Is it because she is a woman?” asked Kuria.
Kuria noted that in contrast to previous male Ministers of Health, there has been evident unequal treatment towards Nakhumicha. He also highlighted the silence of women across the country regarding this issue citing it as unfortunate.