Civil servants threaten nationwide strike over pensions, salaries

Government faces the prospect of a nationwide civil servants’ strike after Concerned Civil Servants issued an ultimatum demanding the abolition of the Civil Servants Contributory Pension Scheme and urgent action on a string of grievances affecting public workers.

The grouping has warned that if Parliament fails to act on its demands, civil servants will begin the process of withdrawing their labour, a move that could disrupt the delivery of essential public services across the country.

In a letter dated July 31, 2026, addressed to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the group requested an emergency audience to discuss what it describes as widespread failures in the management of the Civil Servants Contributory Pension Scheme, delayed pension remittances, poor salaries, stalled promotions and severe staffing shortages.

The group, which says it represents workers from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), accused authorities of failing to manage pension funds transparently and leaving many retired civil servants struggling after years of service.

It claims contributors face delayed pension payments, limited access to information about their savings and persistent delays by government in remitting pension contributions.

Concerned Civil Servants also wants the contributory pension scheme scrapped altogether.

“We would be proposing the abolishing of this pension scheme which has many inefficiencies which we will be able to provide when we meet. Our members have also expressed grave concern over the continued delays and inconsistencies in the remittance of pension contributions by the employer,” reads the letter.

The petition further accuses government of neglecting public workers through salaries that no longer match the rising cost of living, delayed promotions for deserving officers and failure to fill thousands of vacant positions despite announcing that the recruitment freeze had been lifted.

“We respectful! seek the Committee’s intervention in recommending a comprehensive review of public service remuneratiorb to ensure that salaries reflect prevailing economic realities,” add added group.

Additionally, speaking in an interview, Concerned Civil Servants Chairperson Frank Louis Kamwendo declared that the group had reached its breaking point.

“We therefore seek abolishment of this contributory pension scheme. Failure to do so, then we shall have industrial action within 21 days from today,” Kamwendo said.

He said Parliament has only five days, including the weekend, to begin addressing the matter.

Kamwendo: We could stage strike

We have given them five days, including the weekend, starting today, Friday. If Parliament does not begin discussing this issue, we will conclude that they do not consider it important. We will then start withdrawing our labour and follow all the legal procedures required before commencing industrial action, including notifying the relevant authorities within the prescribed period,” he said.

Kamwendo said retired civil servants are being short-changed despite dedicating decades of their lives to public service.

“The pension issue has reached a breaking point. People are crying because someone who worked for 27 years, even at a higher H grade, is receiving only about K18 million in retirement benefits. The Civil Service Pension Scheme has serious problems. We cannot continue accepting this situation,” he said.

The group has asked PAC to grant it an audience on or before August 5, warning that failure to engage them will leave civil servants with no option but to proceed with industrial action.