Ease workers’ pain
These are difficult times for Kenyans—especially workers, who solely rely on their monthly salaries to make ends meet.
The government’s push for higher taxes and statutory deductions comes amid high cost of living with prices of basic commodities skyrocketing.
But as they pursue government pursues its agenda, officials do not seem bothered about the increasing pain afflicting the majority. Only President William Ruto has asked the people to agree to sacrifice now for better returns in future.
However, the wasteful government spending makes a mockery of the promise. Officials and politicians, especially governors, senators, MPs and MCAs, are blowing taxpayers’ funds on luxury. The situation has become so bad that some county workers are now taking home only about Sh100 a month.
Last year, more than 8,000 public servants got less than a third of their monthly pay, many due to the higher statutory deductions and other commitments, a new report says. Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has warned that leaving workers with less than a third of their basic pay is a violation of the law, citing Section 19 (3) of the Employment Act, 2007.
Deductions should never exceed two-thirds of wages. But this is happening in 28 of the 47 counties. NSSF deductions have risen from Sh200 to Sh360 for low-income earners and Sh1,080 for those paid over Sh18,000. Add to this the 1.5 per cent housing levy and 2.75 per cent of their income to the Social Insurance Health Fund (Shif). Workers are, hence, left struggling to meet basic needs like footing rent bills, buying household goods and paying school fees for their children.
Worse, Kenya Revenue Authority has meanwhile hit employers and workers hard by raising—again—the fringe benefits tax to 16 per cent. This is happening yet many employers have not given workers a pay rise for several years. The cry of the suffering workers and other Kenyans should not be ignored.
