SRC controversy casts shadow over Moturi's Central Bank board nomination

Sophie Moturi's nomination to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) board hit a stumbling block during her vetting session, where past controversies surrounding her role at the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) dominated discussions.

The joint committee of the National Assembly's Departmental Finance and Planning Committee and the Senate's Finance and Budget Committee on Thursday raised concerns over her leadership at the SRC, which they argued had not met expectations.

Moturi, a banking and finance expert with a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance, defended her time at the SRC, where she served as a commissioner.

She spoke about the commission’s role in conducting job evaluations for all civil service cadres, including Members of Parliament.

"I was proud of the work I undertook as a commissioner," she asserted.

However, this defense did not go over well with the committee, particularly with Kitui Rural MP David Mboni, who was quick to criticise the SRC.

“You failed as the Salaries and Remunerations Commission. Apart from harassing MPs, SRC is not known for anything better,” Mboni stated.

Scepticism

The session saw a growing tide of scepticism. Benjamin Lagat, the chair of the session and Ainamoi MP, expressed disappointment, suggesting that the SRC had done little other than cut the salaries of ward representatives.

"There was nothing tangible achieved by the commission," he remarked. This sentiment was echoed by Turkana South MP John Ariko, who questioned the methodology behind the SRC’s job evaluations and their application to MPs.

Ariko also criticised the commission for failing to reduce the wage bill despite its creation for that purpose.

Moturi responded by highlighting the successes of the SRC, notably the reduction of the national wage bill from 51.5 per cent to 39 per cent during her tenure.

“We did our work as a commission, not as individuals. We carried out job evaluation, which was a thorough process, a time-consuming and expensive exercise,” she stated.

Beyond the SRC debate, Moturi outlined her plans to help stabilise Kenya’s financial landscape.

She emphasised that a combination of financial and fiscal policies was necessary to address economic challenges, stating that relying solely on monetary policies would be insufficient.

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“Financial policies should be taken on board. It is possible to achieve that through technology and relevant amendments brought before Parliament for approval,” Moturi said.