SRC Approves Salary and Allowance Increase for Civil Servants
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has approved an increase in salaries and allowances for civil servants for the 2025/2026 financial year.
The decision was made during the SRC’s 691st meeting held on Friday, December 19, 2025.
According to the commission, the review covers basic salary and leave allowance for civil servants in the national government.
The new pay structure will take effect from July 1, 2025, and will cost the government Sh2.07 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year.
“This approval marks phase one of the fourth remuneration and benefits review cycle for the civil service,” the SRC said in a statement. The current review cycle will run until the 2028/2029 financial year.
Under the revised structure, Nairobi has been placed in house allowance cluster one. Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Eldoret, Thika, Kisii, Malindi and Kitale fall under cluster two, while all other areas are classified as cluster three.
The SRC also introduced a Salary Market Adjustment (SMA), which combines several allowances, including entertainment, extraneous and domestic servant allowances. The SMA is meant to align public service pay with market conditions while observing constitutional and legal requirements.
For unionisable civil servants, the new salary structure will be implemented through collective bargaining negotiations.
The review was officially announced on Saturday, January 3, by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service and Human Capital Development, Jane Imbunya.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants and thanked President William Ruto for supporting public service reforms.
“We remain committed to the welfare and well-being of all civil servants. We appreciate the President’s leadership in prioritising public service reforms as we build a stronger and more empowered workforce,” Imbunya said in a post on X.
Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli welcomed the salary increase, describing it as a positive step for workers in the public service.