President William Ruto has appointed Michel Thoyah Kingi, brother of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, as a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

The appointment was published in the November 14, 2025, edition of the Kenya Gazette and confirms that Kingi will serve a six-year term.

The notice cited the constitutional provisions under Articles 230 and 250, as well as the procedure outlined in the SRC Act of 2011, which governs appointments to the commission. By formalising the appointment, Kingi joins the team responsible for setting pay and benefits for public officers across Kenya.

“Gazette Notice No. 16522. The Constitution of Kenya. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission Act (No. 10 of 2011),” the notice read in part.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 230 (2) (b) (ii) of the Constitution as read with Article 250 (2) (b) of the Constitution and in accordance with the procedure set out in section 7 (13) of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission Act, 2011, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint—Michel Thoya Kingi, (Eng.) to be a member of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, for a period of six (6) years.”

Kingi, an engineer by profession, previously served as the Member of Parliament for Magarini Constituency from 2017 to 2022 under the Pamoja African Alliance party. He lost his seat in the 2022 election to Harrison Garama Kombe of the Orange Democratic Movement.

Following a Supreme Court ruling that nullified Kombe’s election in 2023, a by-election was called for the Magarini seat, but Kingi confirmed during his vetting that he will not contest.

Family ties spark concern

The nomination drew attention because of Kingi’s family link to the Senate Speaker. During his vetting session before the National Assembly Labour Committee on October 21, 2025, MPs questioned him on political neutrality and the risk of influence from his brother. Kingi assured lawmakers that he is not affiliated with any political party and that he intends to perform his duties independently.

Kingi joins Chairperson Sammy Chepkwony and commissioners Mohamed Aden Abdi, Jane Gatakaa Njage, Maj-Gen (Rtd) Martin Kizito Ong’onyi, Gilda Odera, Geoffrey Apollo Omondi, and Leonid Ashindu. Together, the SRC oversees salaries, allowances, and benefits for state officers.

During his vetting, Kingi also addressed concerns over the commission’s ability to tackle payroll issues, including the problem of ghost workers. He explained that the SRC relies on payroll data provided by ministries, departments, and agencies, which makes it difficult to identify non-existent employees.

He suggested that a more integrated digital system linking human resource and payroll information across government would improve accountability. Kingi also called for stronger collaboration with the Public Service Commission and legislative support to enable the SRC to enforce its recommendations.

Lawmakers warned that digital tools alone are insufficient, pointing out that inaccurate data could still lead to losses. Estimates show that Kenya may have lost at least Ksh9 billion over the past five years due to ghost workers. Kingi pledged to prioritise transparency and accountability if confirmed.