Former SRC chair warns judges' pension plan is unsustainable

Lyn Mengich on Spice FM. [Screengrab]

Former Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) chairperson Lyn Mengich has warned that a proposed pension scheme for judges is unrealistic and unsustainable.

Speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, September 2, Mengich said the plan would place an undue burden on taxpayers.

"It is not sustainable. If we look at the numbers, the pension provides for an individual to go over and above what the employer puts in and add their own contribution, meaning that the real contribution should come from the individual rather than the employer," she said.

The former SRC chair further cautioned that approving the scheme could set a precedent for other state officers to demand similar benefits.

"Once this is passed, we then go to the conversation of why judges alone should benefit. Other sectors will also want the same. It is very clear in the Constitution that when we talk about wage bill; equity, and fairness are key," she added.

Her remarks come weeks after SRC rejected a proposal by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to review salaries and pensions for judges.

In a July 25 letter, SRC acting secretary Margaret Njoka said the commission opposed the Judges' Retirement Benefits Bill, 2025, reaffirming SRC's constitutional mandate to set state officers' pay.

According to SRC, the proposed retirement perks would cost taxpayers Sh1.7 billion in the first year alone. Extending such benefits to judges, the commission warned, would likely fuel similar demands from other state officers, further straining the public wage bill.

If passed, the bill would grant retired judges, their spouses, and children medical coverage equal to that of serving judges, among other benefits.