When do you stop working? Age-old debate just won't retire

It may have been the same revelation Charles Chege had when he moved to court last month to challenge the prescribed 60 years set for retirement. It is also not the first time to have a debate on when is the right age to retire.

Mr Chege wants people to work until they have had their fill. It is an opinion that has received mixed reactions from players in the labour sector with the pertinent question being: when is the right time to retire?

Albanus Muthoka, assistant manager in charge of operations at Enwealth Financial Services, a firm that manages pension funds as part of its business, notes that there is no ideal age when one can opt for retirement.

"Anyone can retire at any age," he says. "But what you need is to plan your finances. Someone will retire at 40, another at 50 and there are those who will wait until 60. But it is how you prepare yourself."

He says if you know what you want to accomplish in your career or workplace, and what you want to do thereafter, one needs to prepare for that time.

"Then you will say for me, I have achieved what I wanted and now it is time to transition to something else," he says.

Group Executive Director CPF Financial Services, Joseph Rono, says the age of 60 is in line with practices in developed countries.

He describes it as 'very ideal', arguing that a 60-year-old is still productive.

"The pension liabilities are also fairly reduced at age 60 compared to 55," he says.

In 2009, the government revised the retirement age upwards from 55 to 60, a practice that was immediately adopted by the industry.

He adds: "The Public Service Commission and other appointing authorities should be keen on succession planning to settle issues that are common in the public service through training other persons in the organisation to take up these positions."

The Public Service Commission Act, 2017 does not prescribe the retirement age. It leaves this to the Public Service Commission Regulations as indicated in Section 80(1) of the Act.

It, however, states in Section 81 that where a public officer has attained the age of 50 years and has been in the service for an aggregate period of at least five years, they may opt to retire by giving the authorised officer at least three months' notice.

The Public Service Commission Regulations, 2020 stipulates in Regulation 70 that subject to the Constitution, Section 80 of the Act (Public Service Commission Act 2017), any other relevant written law or a specific government policy, the mandatory retirement age in the public service shall be 60 years and 65 for persons with disabilities.

"Such age as may be determined by the commission for lecturers and research scientists serving in public universities, research institutions or equivalent institutions as determined by the commission in consultation with such universities, research institutions or equivalent institutions," the regulation goes on.

As indicated in this regulation, the retirement age in most colleges and universities is usually 70. In some cases, it can be stretched to 75.