Engineers take PSC to Supreme Court in bid to secure better pay, allowances
In March 2023, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya submitted a detailed proposal after months of study comparing engineers’ terms of engagement with those of doctors, lawyers and architects.
Engineers have moved to the Supreme Court, seeking intervention to compel the Public Service Commission (PSC) to improve their terms of service in the civil service, arguing that their current conditions fall short of those enjoyed by other professionals.
According to the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), the move aims to secure better pay grades and allowances long denied to engineers.
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“We particularly expect that on successful petition, engineers’ entry grade to civil service will be improved from the current CSG 10 to CSG 9, engineers will enjoy risk allowance, and engineers will enjoy non-practising allowance,” IEK President Engineer Shammah Kiteme said.
Kiteme noted that the legal action follows a series of engagements with PSC that began on December 15, 2022.
He highlighted that in March 2023, the institution submitted a detailed proposal after months of study comparing engineers’ terms of engagement with those of doctors, lawyers and architects. However, the PSC remained resistant to the proposed improvements.
“In the course of this exercise, it became very clear that engineers have been subjected to grievous labour injustices,” Kiteme added.
Efforts to resolve the matter also included a two-day retreat in Mombasa on September 26 and 27, 2023, which was attended by PSC officials, IEK, the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), the Kenya Engineering and Technical Registration Board (KETRB), and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Kiteme said follow-up meetings were also held on May 24, 2024 and May 2, 2025, but PSC remained resistant to the proposed improvements.
On July 1, 2025, PSC issued a circular granting non-practising allowances to lawyers in the civil service, a development IEK said highlighted the inequities faced by engineers.
“Having been unsuccessful in engaging PSC to improve the terms of service for engineers, the council decided to pursue the matter of correcting this injustice through the courts. We hope that the courts will grant the petition filed and allow engineers to enjoy risk and non-practising allowances as well as review of the entry in civil service from CSG 10 to CSG 9,” Kiteme said.
The petition comes as engineers have recently staged protests over rising unemployment and unfair treatment in the civil service. They have demanded that the government create at least 10,000 jobs for qualified engineers across the country.
They have also raised concerns over the exclusion of local engineers from major infrastructure projects, accusing some foreign firms of sidelining Kenyan professionals or underpaying them while benefiting from government contracts. The institution called for strict enforcement of policies to ensure the fair participation and compensation of local engineers.
IEK also urged the government to audit foreign firms operating in Kenya to ensure engineers are properly compensated. They further called for penalties against companies that misuse professional licences or dismiss engineers without due remuneration.
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