It is the cruelest irony of public service in Kenya: you spend your youth building the nation, only to spend your sunset years begging that same nation to pay what it owes you. The Daily Nation’s searing editorial this week, titled “Failure to pay retirees is a betrayal of trust,” has ripped the bandage off a festering national wound. But the reality on the ground is far bloodier than a mere administrative delay.

For thousands of Kenyan families, the government’s failure to disburse pension gratuities is not just a bureaucratic hiccup; it is a death sentence. While the political class debates the finer points of fiscal policy, a silent crisis is unfolding in villages from Kakamega to Kilifi, where retired teachers and civil servants are unable to afford insulin, food, or dignity.

The KES 108 Billion Black Hole

The scale of the debt is staggering. According to the latest data from the Controller of Budget (CoB), Margaret Nyakang’o, the government owes retirees over KES 108 billion in unpaid pensions and gratuities. This figure is not just a statistic; it represents deferred dreams and denied rights.

Despite the Treasury processing claims worth over KES 131 billion in the last financial cycle, actual cash releases have lagged significantly behind. The disconnect is stark: the paperwork says "paid," but the bank accounts read "zero."

• Total Owed: Over KES 108 billion in arrears.
• Affected Population: More than 260,000 retirees, with 85,000 more expected to exit service by 2026.
• The Gap: In the first nine months of the 2024/25 fiscal year alone, a funding gap of over KES 30 billion emerged between processed claims and released funds.

"Liquidity Challenges" or Misplaced Priorities?

The Treasury has repeatedly cited "liquidity challenges"—a polite term for being broke—as the primary reason for the delays. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has admitted that the exchequer is strained. However, a closer look at the Consolidated Fund Services (CFS) budget reveals a disturbing hierarchy of priorities.

Data indicates that nearly 87% of the CFS budget is gobbled up by public debt servicing. In the eyes of the state, paying foreign creditors takes precedence over feeding its own retired workforce. While the government rushes to avoid defaulting on Eurobonds to please international rating agencies, it has effectively defaulted on the social contract with its own elders.

A System of "Manifest Injustice"

The Commission on Administrative Justice, commonly known as the Ombudsman, has termed the situation a "manifest injustice." Earlier this year, Ombudsman Chairperson Charles Dulo issued a 60-day ultimatum to the Pensions Department, citing cases of retirees who have waited over 26 years for their dues.

"These numbers reveal a deeply troubling picture," Dulo noted. "Retirees are grappling with financial hardship, inability to settle medical bills, and a profound loss of dignity."

The tragedy is compounded by the fact that recent legal wins—such as the tax exemption on pension benefits introduced by the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act, 2024—are meaningless if the money isn't paid. A tax exemption on zero is still zero.

The Human Cost

Behind the billions are individuals like Moses Amoko, a 61-year-old retired teacher mentioned in recent Ombudsman reports, who has struggled to secure even his late wife’s death gratuity. He is not an anomaly; he is the norm. The system, plagued by the notorious IFMIS failures and alleged corruption, seems designed to frustrate rather than facilitate.

As we enter 2026, the message from the state to its senior citizens is chillingly clear: You are no longer useful, so you are no longer a priority. Unless the government treats pensions as a "first charge" expenditure—equal in urgency to debt repayment—we will continue to see the generation that built Kenya die waiting for a check that is always "coming soon."