Civil servants reject SRC salary circular, threaten nationwide strike
By Mustafa Juma, July 20, 2026A fresh standoff is brewing between the government and civil servants after the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) rejected the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) circular approving a new remuneration structure, warning that it could move to court and organise the first nationwide strike in the union’s history if its grievances are not addressed.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, July 20, 2026, UKCS Secretary General Lawrence Nyaguti said the union had not been consulted before the SRC issued its circular dated July 17, 2026, describing the move as unconstitutional and a violation of the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations.
“The circular only represents the government’s position. It is not the outcome of negotiations with the Union. We neither participated in nor endorse it,” Nyaguti said.
Union says CBA negotiations are incomplete
According to Nyaguti, the union formally wrote to the SRC after its officials assumed office, requesting negotiations over the proposed salary review, but the commission failed to respond.
He argued that since negotiations remain incomplete and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has not been signed, the approval of salaries and benefits was premature.
“The negotiations have never been concluded. There is no signed CBA. Therefore, the remuneration framework announced by SRC cannot be said to reflect an agreed position between the employer and workers,” he said.
Nyaguti further claimed the union had expected meaningful engagement after President William Ruto publicly indicated that civil servants would receive salary increments during the current financial year.
Union cites constitutional violations
The civil servants’ union accused SRC of undermining workers’ constitutional rights, arguing that the commission ignored provisions safeguarding labour relations.
Nyaguti cited Articles 41, 230 and 234 of the Constitution, saying while SRC frequently relies on its constitutional mandate under Article 230 to determine remuneration, it must also respect workers’ rights to collective bargaining protected under the Constitution.
He maintained that meaningful consultation is not optional but a legal requirement before remuneration frameworks affecting unionisable employees are adopted.
Salary review sparks fresh row
The dispute comes just days after SRC approved Phase II of the Fourth Remuneration Review Cycle for civil servants, with the revised salary structure taking effect from July 1, 2026. The July 17 circular outlined new basic salaries, revised house allowances, commuter allowances and leave allowances for national government civil servants. The review forms part of the 2025/26–2028/29 remuneration cycle, with SRC saying it considered inflation, affordability, labour productivity and the need to attract and retain skilled personnel when determining the new rates.
The salary review followed the publication of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (Remuneration and Benefits of State and Other Public Officers) Regulations, 2026, which introduced a structured framework for reviewing public sector pay and implementing remuneration decisions across government institutions.
Union says increases are inadequate
Despite welcoming the government’s decision to review salaries, UKCS said the actual increments and allowances remain inadequate given Kenya’s rising cost of living.
Nyaguti argued that civil servants continue to face increasing financial pressure due to higher prices of food, transport, housing and other basic commodities.
He said the union is pushing not only for improved salaries but also better working conditions that would enable public servants to live dignified lives.
The Secretary General maintained that the circular fails to address the economic realities facing thousands of civil servants across the country.
Civil servants’ salary negotiations
Negotiations over a new pay deal for civil servants have been ongoing for months under the Fourth Remuneration Review Cycle.
Before the latest SRC circular, UKCS had been negotiating with the government over a broad package that includes basic salaries, commuter allowances, hardship allowances, leave benefits, career progression, paternity and maternity leave, transfer disturbance allowances and the absorption of interns into permanent employment. Nyaguti had previously stated that while some progress had been made on basic salaries, several key issues remained unresolved.
In June, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced that President William Ruto had approved salary increments for public servants beginning in July, saying the review would cover both salaries and major allowances.