Kenya’s public workforce hits 1.07 million as wage bill soars

Nairobi, Kenya - Kenya's public workforce has surpassed one million employees, reaching 1.07 million workers according to the latest data released by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). This significant growth, up from 1.023 million in 2024, has put additional strain on the government's already expanding wage bill. The surge in public sector employment was primarily driven by increased hiring in crucial areas such as education, public administration, and defense, with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) leading the way, seeing a job increase of 6.2% from 2024.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) now employs 436,300 teachers, up from 410,700 in the previous year. Ministries and other extra-budgetary institutions employed 243,500 people, while county governments were responsible for 239,000 positions. The total public wage bill is projected to reach Sh1.287 trillion for the 2025/2026 financial year, a notable rise from Sh1.247 trillion the previous year.

This increase is largely attributed to growth in teaching, health, and security sectors, as well as routine salary adjustments.

Despite the substantial rise in the wage bill, its proportion of ordinary government revenue has dropped from 54.77% in 2020/2021 to an estimated 40.68% for the upcoming fiscal year. However, this figure still exceeds the 35% threshold mandated by Kenya's public finance management framework. The rising cost of wages is occurring amidst high inflation, with the average month-on-month inflation rate for the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 standing at 6.23%, significantly above the Central Bank of Kenya's 5% target.

The SRC warns that persistent inflation threatens to diminish the real value of salaries and may intensify demands for higher pay among public employees.