[File, Standard]As pressure mounts on the government to put in check public spending, staff working in Kenya’s independent commissions and constitutional offices say they are paying the price through stagnated wages, low morale and eroding dignity. Kenya Independent Commissions Workers Union (KICOWU) Secretary General Njeru Kanyamba says while teachers are represented by unions such as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and KSUNET, non-teaching staff in commissions must also be allowed effective representation. But Kanyamba cautioned that no CBA can be initiated or signed without the involvement of unions. Union officials argue that the failure to sign the CBA has created glaring disparities between workers in independent commissions and those in the mainstream public service, many of whom have benefited from recent salary reviews and allowances. “Signing the CBA would send a powerful message that the state respects labour rights and values the people who uphold constitutionalism.

Source: Standard Digital January 16, 2026 10:59 UTC