PSC raises retirement age for lecturers and research scientists

PSC noted in a statement that the move was made after undertaking consultations with the aforementioned institutions to ensure the public service remains efficient and effective.

Professors and associate professors under permanent and pensionable terms will retire at 70 years, while PWDs in the same category will retire at 75 years. The same applies to research professors and associate professors.

Senior lecturers and lecturers will retire at 65 years, while those under the PWDs category will retire at 70 years.

Assistant lecturers, junior researchers, graduate assistants and research assistants under contract employment terms will retire at 60 years while PWDs will retire at 65 years.

Likewise, research scientists serving in research institutions with PHDs will leave office upon reaching age 65, as PWDs retire at 70.

Their counterparts, qualified as holders of a Master's degree with relevant publications, will retire at 65 years, and PWDs will retire at 70 years.

PSC added that non-teaching staff shall retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 years, and PWDs will retire at 65.

The mandatory retirement age has long stood at 60 years, with PWDs ranging from 60 years to 74 years as adopted under an East African Community (EAC) treaty in 2009.

The Public Service raised concerns about the low age requirement, arguing that it continues to lose employees with critical skills while they are still productive.

It added that the early retirement would render them reliant on the taxpayer for funding of their pension when they should be contributing to the economy.