Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome today at the Supreme Court Buildings in Nairobi swore in the Judicial Service Commission representative, Abdiwahab Abdi, as a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Congratulating Abdi on his new appointment by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the CJ told him to abide by the constitution while discharging his mandate of setting and reviewing remuneration for state and other public officers.
She said the enormous responsibilities placed upon him required that he serves the country to the best of his abilities and encouraged him to abide by the vows that he took.
“The historical context that informed the constitutional entrenchment of the SRC as a constitutional commission was to ensure that the remuneration and benefits of state officers and public officers can be set in a transparent and fair process,” Koome stressed.
The mandate of SRC is to ensure fiscal sustainability of the total public compensation wage bill, ensure that the public sector is able to attract and retain skills and talent and to reward productivity and performance pursuant to the goals of Article 230 of the Constitution.
Koome also urged Abdi as he joins other commissioners to ensure that the remuneration and benefits paid by the government to public officers across all cadres from the least job group to the highest are fair.
The CJ, also told Abdi to work towards the realization of the goal of fiscally sustainable wage bill and fair remuneration to all public servants as per the expectations of Kenyans.
“In order to attain the objective of fair compensation for everyone in public service, the Constitution envisages a credible and visibly independent, transparent, impartial, neutral, efficient, accurate, and accountable Commission,” stated Koome.
SRC’s Head of Legal Department, James Sitienei, welcomed Abdi to the Commission saying his presence will strengthen the body as it continues to discharge its mandate. “SRC will be richer with your presence as we are now near full house with a representative from the JSC which is one of the biggest employers in this country,” he said.
By Michael Omondi and Faith Kinyanjui