Lead image for Court clears new civil servants’ salary structure despite union protest.
The government has been given the greenlight to proceed with a new salary structure for civil servants after the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) rejected a bid to stop its implementation.
Justice Jemimah Keli ruled that there was no basis to suspend the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) advice on the revised pay structure. The decision clears the way for implementation of the changes across the national government civil service.
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants had moved to court seeking orders to stop the new salary scales and allowances from being processed through the August 2026 government payroll.
The union argued that the changes had been developed and announced without its involvement. It said this violated workers’ right to collective bargaining.
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The dispute arose from an SRC circular dated July 17, 2026, advising the government on the revised remuneration structure.
The government subsequently announced the changes on July 18 and 19, saying they would be implemented through the August payroll, with some adjustments taking effect from July 1 2026.
The union said it had been trying to restart negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement covering 2025 to 2029. It wrote to the government on April 20 seeking the resumption of negotiations.