One of the most dreaded moments as a retiree here in Kenya is following up on your pension dues from the government. The process is tedious and there’s just too much paperwork to do for someone looking to have some piece of mind at home. Well, if the government goes ahead with current plans, this process will soon be pleasant and won’t need numerous visits to various government offices for clearance.
According to revelations we have at hand, the treasury is looking for a system that would automate the entire process and ensure that retired civil servants receive their dues within a month. The current process of handling claims at one of the most important government agencies is mostly reliant on hardcopies from other agencies that can be voluminous and tiresome for retirees.
I remember a few years back when I had to assist my dad in making submissions for his pension, there were just too many government departments to visit such as KRA for a clearance form and the treasury in just following up whether his files had been moved to the correct departments for processing. The process is so tedious that most retirees are forced to bribe officials at the treasury, so their claims could be processed on time.
The treasury is now in search of a consultant that would develop, supply, install, and commission an online pension management information system, aimed at eliminating the need for pensioners and their family members to make physical visits to various offices to apply and follow up on pension payments.
At the moment, the treasury is said to be processing claims from about 300,000 retirees with an estimated average figure of about 20,000 claims lodged every year. To facilitate the new system, the agency has set aside about Ksh 119.19 billion towards retirees, an increase from initial Ksh 27.71 billion allocation done seven years earlier.
Earlier this year, the government unveiled the public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS) where all civil servants make monthly contributions for their pension, with the main reason being to control the huge pension bill. In the new system, excess of 530,000 civil servants, including police and teachers, contribute two percent from their salaries for their pension contribution.