Kenyan Government Becoming The Best Employer?

Kenyan Government Becoming The Best Employer?

I am seriously thinking of working for the Kenya government.

And by government I mean either the public service, local government (city councils) or one of the many parastatals cropping up with mouth watering job adverts.

And looks like I am not the only one if this comment by a reader of career point is anything to go by.

Hi guys,
Have you people seen the ad on Yesterday’s standard? The county council of Vihiga seeks to employ a
1.Plant Operator salary range Ksh 110,400-197 340.00 plus a house allowance of 54,000.00.
2. Clerical officer salary range k’sh 110,400-197,340.00 and a h/a of 54,000.00
3.survey assistant salary range 180,660-301,380+ h/a 81k.

Reasons why Government is overtaking private sector as Kenyan’s best employer.
1.Job security. There is something totally wrong with the way private firms are run. Today you have a job and if not very careful you might be hitting the streets in the afternoon for reasons not of your making. Kenyan employees working in the private sector go to great lengths to satisfy their employees in the hope of securing their jobs but this is not reciprocated.

I don’t mean you can’t be fired working for the government but so long as you ‘perform’, your job is secure. And the level of insider politics is manageable.

It used to be bad but things are now relatively ok. The tales of some of you working in private firms makes me want to cry.

2.Good Pay. Parastatals like Kenya Revenue, Capital Markets, The many commissions, and such like are paying salaries that we in the private sector can only dream of. If you compare the number of hours put in by government employees and the work load, the pay is something to die for.

Again, the private sector has this tendency to ‘milk you dry’ for lack of a better word. In most cases those working in the private sector don’t get the pay commensurate with their performance and the crazy hours they put. As i grow older and hopefully  smart, I am looking for flexible working hours that can either allow me to go back to school or engage in biashara.

Those in government have the time to ‘try things’. My friend, unless you will retire and ‘die’ don’t you think having something on the side will be useful. Personally I want to learn early hence the flexible hours.

3.Younger and younger employees. If you still think that the civil service is made of old mama’s and wazee’s then you are living in the eighties. The Kenyan government has been the single largest source of employment in the last five years.


And the beneficiaries are the young graduates. We still have the old employees who prefer transacting government biashara in their mother tongues but of late more and more younger faces are noticeable. In short, if you are young and ambitious, you’ve got company.

4.Qualifications. Government likes to keep it simple. On the other hand private sector will require you to have all manner of qualifications to do a simple job.

Look at some of the advert and sincerely tell me whether it’s realistic. Private sector wants to attracts the most qualified, experienced and skilled but at what level of compensation?

5.Other perks. I have never been paid house allowance, travel allowance or even entertainment allowance the whole seven years I have faithfully given to the private sector. But that aside, have you  realized how banks compete in giving loans to the civil servants and parastatal employees?

This reminds me of the primary school teacher back in the village who has the best house and many other investments despite earning less than what I was paid straight from campus. Thats the power of loans (Other peoples money) used wisely.

For the rest of us, you really, really have to convince the bank that either A) your company is stable enough, or B) you will not have been sacked for any reason.

A casual survey will tell you that most matatu’s and other small business are owned by the ‘sharp’ civil servants. Unless I sell some body parts there’s a very high chance of not making it. Again, I am looking after my interests and working at the age of 45 doesn’t appeal to me.

To develop you either need a loan or a good salary that can meet your needs and have a surplus for investing. If you can’t pay me well, then I’d rather work for someone where I can access loans and the likes.

For those in the government or parastatals like Kenya Revenue, NSSF, NHIF, Ministry of this or that, is it really worth?

Comments below.