Former Members of Parliament, current Principal Secretaries, and top corporate leaders all indicated interest in the positions after the Public Service Commission (PSC) announced them.
The commission reports that 9,154 applications were received for the posts, which had a deadline of September 27.
In addition to the extensive authority Principal Secretaries possess, the huge number of applications is mostly due to the substantial pay and perks Principal Secretaries get.
PSs receive an annual gross salary of Ksh 765,188, according to a notice published in the SRC’s (Salaries and Remuneration Commission) Gazette on July 27, 2022.
This sum includes a housing allowance of Ksh 150,000, a commuter allowance for government employees, and a pay market adjustment of Ksh 156,075.
Additionally, they are paid a gratuity at the conclusion of their periods of employment, which is equal to 31% of their basic wage for each year worked.
However, the Principal Secretaries and other State Officers under the Executive branch of government who were entitled to wages and benefits in July 2022 were still paid by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
According to Section 11(e) of the SRC Act of 2011, the commission headed by Lyn Mengich established a four-year review cycle for pay and benefits in the public sector to be in line with the nation’s planning and financial procedures.
This came after the SRC hinted at the third round of compensation reviews, which would be based on job reviews, wage surveys, and the success of the economy in past fiscal years.
President William Ruto is anticipated to appoint 49 Principal Secretaries (PSs), which is seven more than the administration of his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.
Following the splitting of various state departments, about seven PSs will be appointed to new ministries. One of them will be given to the Musalia Mudavadi-led Prime Cabinet Secretary’s office.
Instead of having only one state department, the Ministry of Health will now have two: Medical Services and Public Health.
There will now be three state agencies under the National Administration and Interior Ministries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Transport, and Trade are additional ministries that are impacted.
Taxpayers will have to dig deep into their pockets to pay Ksh5,356,316 per month and Ksh64,275,792 per year for the additional seven PS.
Kenyans will also have to pay at least Ksh321 million in salaries for the seven chief secretaries for the next five years, not including benefits like medical coverage.
According to projections, the 49 PSs will get wages totaling close to Ksh2.2 billion from the Ruto administration over the next five years.
