Review public officers’ perks during transition

For the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), this could be the Kairos moment. If the heavy burden of the public wage is to be brought down, now is the time.

Kairos is a Greek word often used to denote an opportune moment. It is that strategic moment of opportunity within which success is nearly guaranteed. That is why, when it comes to rationalising government pay structure, this is the Kairos moment for the Sarah Serem-led team.

Those perceived to be most troublesome public employees – the political class – are all being sent home to apply for their jobs afresh. Early indications are that a number of them may not come back. The real employers do not seem to be happy with their conduct of business over the last over four years.
When it comes to resolving the matter of government pay structure and its attendant burden on taxpayers, ours has been akin to Aesop’s fable of the fox and the cat. The fox boasted to the cat of its clever devices for escaping its enemies. “I have a whole bag of tricks,” said the fox, “which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies.” To which the cat replied, “I have only one, but I can generally manage with that.” Suddenly, they heard the cry of a pack of hounds approaching. The cat scampered up a tree and hid herself in the boughs. “This is my plan, what is yours?” she asked the fox. The fox contemplated one way and another, and then another. But while in this confusion, the hounds arrived and pounced on the undecided fox. Miss Puss, who had been looking on, said: “Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon.” In leadership and management, the fox behaviour is what is known as the paralysis of analysis – an endless search for solutions that leads to nowhere. Sadly, it is often borne out of fear of doing what is painfully obvious.
On the wage bill, enough “studies” have been done, including the government engaging experts. Three key areas have been identified as the source and cause of our problems: size of government, numerous commissions, and the bloated and overpaid legislature – at national and county levels.

In his recent State of the Nation address, the President made a sober declaration to Parliament and told them, “As politicians, we must accept that our ever increasing salaries and allowances have contributed to the unsustainable demands by other cadres within the public sector to increase their own remuneration at the expense of our people and the country’s development agenda.” The general public holds the same view.
The Ufungamano Joint Forum, which brings together leaders from the religious, corporate, and civil society, has recently come out strongly to demand for decisive action on the public wage bill, especially the cost of running Parliament. Yet, like the fox, we have been caught up in a paralysis of analysis – jumping from one idea to another. We therefore face the real danger of being pounced upon by economic hounds, when we could have perched safely up a tree like other nations.
That is why we must now stand firmly behind SRC and ensure that they take advantage of the opportunity that has presented itself during this transition period. It is our Kairos moment. This is the time for SRC to publish revised perks for various political and state offices, so that those vying for them are aware before they present themselves for election or appointment. To be sure, wakati ni sasa; na kama si sasa, ni sasa hivi!

- The writer is the Presiding Bishop of Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM) [email protected]