By MN Reporter

Union of Kenya Civil Servants (IKCS) Secretary General and Nyatike MP Tom Odege has said workers are set to go on strike against president William Ruto administration over high taxes.

Odege, while addressing the press in Migori town said the strike is slotted for 2024 and it will be in reaction to high taxes amid high cost of living.

“As those in charge of civil servants affair we have been forced to the wall and the only alternative is to call for strike which is the only language government will understand,” Odege said.

Odege said over 70,000 civil servants of both national and county governments, and other workers in the country, have up to 60 per cent of their salaries being taxed by government.

“As patriotic Kenyans we are serving our country through civil servants, but the current situation on inflation and high taxes workers are not living but surviving,” Odege said.

On August last year, government through the Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) chairperson Lyn Mengich announced a 7 percent to 10 percent increase in Civil Servants salaries.

The increase was aimed at cushioning government workers against increase of cost of living.

But Odege downplayed the increase as a not effective saying the addition also translated to double taxes which deprived workers more.

“Actually what it did is taking those who were not to be taxed and added them to higher tax brackets depleting our payslips more,” he said.