Self-sacrifice rarely found in public service

I want to believe that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to support the proposed review and reduction of salaries for 700,000 public servants is sincere and not another populist gimmick designed to hoodwink the public and garner a few more votes. The Kenyan public expected that the Sarah Serem-led Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) would have the clout and ingenuity to curb the greed and bring sanity and consistency in the streamlining of public salaries. But to date they have been outsmarted, bullied, silenced and threatened with removal.

This latest move is perhaps the last stand for the SRC; they must remain firm on their mandate, appeal for massive public support and face the onslaught of their opponents. The opposing army is not just the ranks in office but the culture of waste, entitlement, greed and lack of patriotism.

The proposal to scrap almost all of the 61 allowances available is the first strike for decency. Allowances corrupt public servants from the first day they enter employment. You may live in your own home but since you are entitled to a house allowance, you create a fake receipt from a non-existent landlord. Then there are travel allowances, sitting, uniform, hardship, transfer, overtime, medical, entertainment – the list is endless and the opportunities for dishonesty just as lengthy.

BE HIGHER

Allowances can be higher than monthly salaries. This week, we were informed that Trans Nzoia MCAs take home Sh175,000 per month in sitting allowances. Extraordinary! Makes one wonder where this sitting takes place since their primary job is to sit in the chambers and debate policy and legislation. Of course, the defence argument is that allowances are available and since you are entitled to them, you must get them by any means. That is the essence of the rot. Put another way, civil servants are inducted into exploiting the system from day one.

The famous John F Kennedy adage of asking not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country is rarely the motivation for joining public service. Of course there are good, honest public servants but when the culture is so endemically bent towards self-gain and preservation, the spirit of service and generosity is numbed and eventually killed in most. Project Kenya does not attract or inspire enough citizens to self-sacrifice.

DIFFERENT CHANNELS

Yet, the inherent human longing to be creative, generous and part of community and change still finds different channels for its expression. On a daily basis I witness the massive quantities of time, energy and cash that folk devote to making their church, chama or sports club a success. They do not look for allowances, profit or promotion but the sheer joy of doing good and bringing change in an accountable organization is their reward.

Where have we lost that excitement and energy when it comes to nation building? Everyone can answer that and acknowledge that August 9 won’t change our fortunes or radically inspire a new patriotism. A reversal will be much more painful and less dramatic than that. But if SRC were to get support of the vast majority they could raise our expectations and restore some values. 

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Twitter: @GabrielDolan1