Ball now in Treasury's court to ease Railways pensioners' pain

Kenya Railways staff retirement benefits scheme pensioners protest outside Treasury, Nairobi, in March 2022. [File, Standard] For Rodgers Washika and over 10,000 fellow former Kenya Railways workers, retirement has become a cruel battle for survival, with delayed pension payments pushing them to the brink of destitution after decades of service. These retirees, whose average age is 75, depend on their monthly stipends for life's essentials-most critically, medicine and hospital bills. Washika, the lead petitioner for his ageing colleagues, delivered a sad testimony to a Senate committee, describing the years of non-payment as a devastating "human cost" and "psychological torture." Now, a fragile wave of hope is spreading among these elderly pensioners. This follows a high-level pledge to clear billions of shillings in outstanding arrears, a commitment made at a joint Senate meeting to end the long-running crisis and "restore dignity" to the workforce that built one of East Africa's most iconic infrastructure systems. The breakthrough is the result of months of work by a tripartite taskforce-including the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), the Kenya Railways Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme (KRSRBS), and pensioners' representatives-which successfully reconciled the accounts. KRC Managing Director Philip Mainga presented a joint report confirming the full extent of the debt: staggering arrears of Sh2.387 billion had accrued to both active and deferred members as of October 31, 2025. According to Mainga, the immediate solution rests with the National Treasury. Mainga informed the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare that Sh2.264 billion is expected from the sale of the Nairobi Railway Club to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA). He urgently appealed to the Treasury to fast-track this payment. "These are vulnerable pensioners," Washika had earlier pleaded, noting that the group's oldest member is 90. "Some are in hospital; others are struggling with the cost of medicine. We need Treasury to release those funds now." The Senate, chaired by Senator Julius Murgor (West Pokot), expressed concern over the funding gap and historical mismanagement. Senator Joe Nyutu (Murang'a) questioned how the Sh123 million shortfall would be covered, while Senator Seki Lenku (Kajiado) demanded absolute transparency. "When that money comes, it must go directly to the pensioners," Senator Lenku insisted. "We don't want to hear that it has been diverted." He pushed the committee to secure a written commitment from the National Treasury. For long-term stability, KRC outlined a stabilisation plan for the pension scheme. The strategy, starting in February 2026, involves liquidating underutilised properties-including land in Makongeni valued at roughly Sh8 billion-to fund sustainable investments in government bonds and other income-generating instruments. Committee Chairman Senator Julius Murgor gave his assurance, vowing the committee "would not relent until every shilling reaches the rightful beneficiaries," confirming that a clear roadmap is now in place.

Ball now in Treasury's court to ease Railways pensioners' pain

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Ball now in Treasury's court to ease Railways pensioners' pain

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