Fixing economy is a collective responsibility

-Editorial

It takes courage for anyone to accept a pay cut. It takes a lot more courage for a person to actually surrender a portion of income in public interest, especially with the ever-rising inflation and biting cost of living.

In itself, the move to take a pay cut is an enduring symbol of one’s strong belief and commitment to a bigger vision. That President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and all their Cabinet and Principal Secretaries have agreed to surrender a percentage of their monthly salaries and allowances to the exchequer, triggers the right code in an economy weighed down by a ballooning public sector wage bill.

The move sets a good example at the top and would be a strong basis for a robust public debate on the subject of sacrifice for the collective good of our Republic.

But the estimated Sh20 million to be saved annually through this initiative would seem like a scratch on the surface of deeply rooted financial needs in our country.

We all agree that a lot more needs to be done.

On average, the government’s annual revenue is Sh600 billion. At over Sh400 billion annually, experts have warned the wage bill is not sustainable, given that only a meager Sh200 billion is left for development. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission has severally warned of the rising wage bill. But the Sarah Serem-led commission has faced stiff opposition – including threats of disbandment from people’s representatives in Parliament – while trying to review income for public officers. The commission has been at loggerheads with MPs, members of the County Assemblies and other organs of government, both national and county, over remuneration. President Kenyatta has instructed the commission to embark on rationalisation of salaries in the civil service. For the team to succeed, they will need all the goodwill they can get.

But where did the rain start beating us? In the past, civil servants were poorly paid and most were almost in constant search for engagement in the private sector.

In an effort to attract and maintain talent, recently the government has enticed professionals from the private sector to work in government. The head-handed professionals came in with uncharacteristically high salaries and competitive perks. Add to this the numerous constitutional commissions whose employees earn much higher salaries than counterparts in other government jobs.

The Coalition Government of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga after the bungled 2007 presidential elections also meant a bloated government was put in place. Thousands of additional workers joined government.

The Jubilee Government, the first after enactment of the 2010 Constitution, is not in an enviable situation either. Devolution means more representatives have been elected, more staff recruited, more vehicles and equipment procured – all with eyes on the public till.

For the president’s move to bear fruit, a lot more must be done at all levels of government to cut down on expenditure. All government employees must be prepared to make sacrifices in the best interest of the country.

At the county level, all the 47 governors and their governments should take the cue from the national Executive and reduce their ballooning wage bill.

And to further deepen austerity, the Jubilee Government should significantly cut down on travel and conferences – local, regional and international. Millions of shillings are gobbled up in non-essential foreign and local trips. This is besides the millions Government functionaries spend on conferences in luxurious hotels and resorts.

We also urge all elected leaders, especially the MPs, to embrace servant leadership. It should not be the case that being an elected leader means an opportunity to accumulate personal wealth at the expense of national good.

Leadership should be about inspiring a people towards improved standards of living. It should not be an avenue to enrich oneself. On the same stroke, Kenyan voters must desist demanding handouts from elected leaders. This behaviour only creates grounds for corruption. Let every Kenyan earn his or her keep and live within his or her means.