In a move aimed at youth empowerment and reducing public spending, the Kenyan government has announced that 43,946 civil servants will retire over the next five years.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, in a statement on Thursday, highlighted that the government’s June 2024 payroll revealed that public officers aged 55 years and above would reach the mandatory retirement age between 2024 and 2029.
“The president’s directive is already being implemented. Based on the June 2024 payroll, 39,360 civil servants are expected to retire in the next five years,” Mwaura stated.
He further noted that this wave of retirements is expected to open up significant employment opportunities for the country’s youth.
“This year alone, 7,662 officers are set to retire, paving the way for young Kenyans to take up roles in government,” he added.
In addition, Mwaura reported that 7,477 civil servants had already retired between September 2023 and June 2024, across various state departments, county executives, and county assemblies.
Mwaura also pointed out that there are currently 39,441 officers serving the government on contractual terms, with their contracts set to expire on different dates.
“These retirements and expiring contracts will create nearly 47,000 job opportunities for our unemployed youth, who can now enter the public sector either on permanent or contractual terms,” he said.
South Africa is facing similar challenges. Despite a decrease in inflation, the country is grappling with significant economic issues, such as high unemployment and slow growth. In the second quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate increased to almost 33.5%, with 8.4 million people out of work, a substantial rise from 5.2 million in 2014, according to StatsSA.