TSC Release Programme for Teachers Over the Age of Fifty
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has launched a retirement programme for teachers aged 50 and up. The commission has mandated the identification of suitable locations for the retirement awareness programme in a note to county and sub-county directors.
Teachers will convene for the sensitization programme this week and next at places chosen inside their respective sub-counties.
This proposal corresponds with efforts by members of parliament to create legislation requiring teachers and civil servants aged 55 and up to retire. It is expected that roughly 85,000 teachers and civil officials will retire over the next three fiscal years, putting major strain on taxpayers as pension costs are expected to exceed Sh210 billion yearly during this time.
Section 80(1)(a) and (b) of the Public Service Commission Act 2017 now state that a Public Officer must retire when they reach the required retirement age, which is currently set at 60 years for those without disabilities and 65 years for those with impairments.
However, parliamentary committees are discussing decreasing the required retirement age from 60 to 55 in order to expand chances for young people in government.
On August 3, the Labour Committee of the National Assembly examined the Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and announced intentions to alter the legislation to impose a retirement age of 55. Several MPs argued for the age reduction, emphasising the importance of prioritising the career prospects of the youth.
If these ideas are adopted, a considerable number of federal officials who are set to retire in the next five years may leave the employment sooner, potentially causing financial issues for the government due to increasing pension payments. As the government battled with an increasing pension bill, the mandatory retirement age was raised from 55 to 60 years in 2009.
Notably, a 2016 audit indicated that 35% of national government employees were between the ages of 51 and 60. According to the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) annual report for Fiscal Year 2021/2022, 3,958 officials quit their employment across 47 ministries, divisions, and organisations.
The proposed Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023, further specifies the standards for acting appointments to public office, requiring appointees to have all qualifications and abilities for the position. Appointments made without the required qualifications will be revoked immediately by the Public Service Commission.
 has launched a retirement programme){kind=link}