The Ministry of Devolution and other stakeholders have issued a joint statement on the need to urgently address house and hardship allowances in the civil service.
In a statement issued Friday, the ministry, the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) have agreed that the allowances need to be reviewed to bring uniformity in the civil service.
“On this 4th day of July 2014, the Ministry of Devolution and Planning convened a consultative meeting with the Union of Kenya Civil Servants, Public Service Commission and Salaries and Remuneration Commission on the matter of House Allowances and Hardship Allowances for civil servants,” read the statement in part.
The statement continued: “We have heard the concerns raised by the UKCS on these two substantive issues. We recognise that the issues raised are valid and require an urgent and a comprehensive resolution.”
“As a way forward, the meeting today has agreed to establish a technical committee constituting the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, SRC, PSC and the UKCS,” added the statement.
The purpose of this committee will be to review house and hardship allowances in the civil service and submit a proposal to government within the next three weeks. “The committee is expected to advice on modalities of addressing this issue expeditiously,” the statement concluded.
Among those in attendance were Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, PSC chair Prof Margaret Kobia, SRC chair Sarah Serem and the UKCS secretary general Tom Odege.