The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has introduced sweeping new rules tightening oversight over salaries, allowances and other benefits for state and public officers, requiring public bodies to seek its advice before negotiating or implementing remuneration funded by taxpayers.

The new Salaries and Remuneration Commission (Remuneration and Benefits of State and Other Public Officers) Regulations, shared on Saturday, July 4, 2026, and published under the SRC Act, establish a more structured framework for determining salaries, benefits, and collective bargaining agreements across the public sector.

SRC to oversee pay negotiations

Under the regulations, public bodies that have recognition agreements with trade unions will now be required to obtain SRC’s advice before entering into collective bargaining negotiations involving remuneration and benefits payable from public funds.

The regulations further provide that negotiations must be conducted in line with the commission’s advice, and that any negotiated agreement will require the SRC’s written concurrence before it can be registered by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

“A public body shall seek the advice of the Commission on remuneration and benefits items payable out of public funds before the commencement of collective bargaining negotiations,” the regulations state.

The new framework also requires collective bargaining agreements in the public sector to follow a four-year review cycle, aligning salary negotiations with government budgeting and planning.

Performance, affordability to determine pay

The regulations require SRC to consider a broad range of factors before reviewing remuneration, including Kenya’s economic performance, the cost of living, labour market trends, productivity, affordability, and the financial capacity of public institutions.

The Commission will also consider whether institutions can sustainably meet proposed salary obligations before approving remuneration reviews.

“The Commission shall take into account productivity and performance in undertaking its functions,” the regulations provide.

In addition, public bodies seeking salary reviews will be required to submit financial information, approved staffing structures and other employment data to support their requests.

Mandatory job evaluation introduced

The regulations also introduce mandatory job evaluation as the basis for determining salaries and benefits across government.

SRC says the exercise will establish the relative value of jobs, promote equal pay for work of equal value and enhance fairness and transparency in public sector remuneration.

Every public body will now be required to establish a Job Description Analysis Committee responsible for preparing approved job descriptions and submitting them to SRC before job evaluations are undertaken.

Where institutions fail to submit the required information or feedback, the Commission may proceed with the evaluation using available records.

The regulations further provide that salary and remuneration reviews for both state officers and other public officers will generally be undertaken every four years, although SRC retains powers to conduct special reviews where emerging circumstances require intervention.