Apply for Contributory Pension Scheme in Kenya

With a defined contribution plan, which is contributory, both the employee and employer contribute a given percentage towards the fund. Section 26 of the Retirement Benefits Act provides that pension schemes must be established as trusts and trustees will hold the assets for the benefit of the members of the scheme. let us see How to Apply for Contributory Pension Scheme in Kenya

Procedure

The quickest way is by opening a Retirement Savings Account’ in your names with a Pension Fund Administrator of your choice. This individual account belongs to you as an employee and will remain with you through life.

You may change employers or pension fund administrators but the account remains the same. Then you may only withdraw from this account at the age of 55 or upon retirement thereafter. This withdrawal may take the form of:

• A programmed monthly or quarterly withdrawal;
• A purchase of annuity for life through a licensed life insurance company with monthly or quarterly payments; and
• A lump sum from the balance standing to the credit of your retirement savings account: provided that the amount remaining after the lump sum withdrawal shall be sufficient to procure an annuity or fund programmed withdrawals that will produce an amount not less than 50% of your monthly remuneration as at date of your retirement.
• You will visit the nearest CPS office request for a form and fill in your details up to the last page.
• Present the Retirement Savings Account number to the CPS officer within five working days,your details will be entered into the computer and the officer will then take your photo and thumb prints, then an CPS card will be issued.

Power to grant pensions

(1)Pension, gratuities and other allowances may be granted by the Minister, in accordance with the Pensions Regulations, to officers who have been in the service of the Government.

(2)The Pensions Regulations may be amended by regulations made by the President.

(3)Whenever the President is satisfied that it is equitable that any regulations made under this section should have retrospective effect in order to confer a benefit upon or remove a disability attaching to any person, they may be given retrospective effect for that purpose:

Provided that no such regulations shall have retrospective effect unless they have received the prior approval of the National Assembly signified by resolution.

(4)All regulations made under the pension section shall have the same force and effect as if they were contained in the First Schedule to the pension Act.

(5)Any pension or gratuity granted under the pension Act shall be computed in accordance with subsections (1), (2) and (3) of section 112 of the Constitution.Note

For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that where an officer has been confirmed in a pensionable office and is thereafter appointed to another pensionable office then, unless the terms of that appointment otherwise require, the last-mentioned office is, for the purposes of this Act, an office in which he has been confirmed.

Where it appears to the President that there is no satisfactory proof of the correct age of an officer or of any child, the President may, upon such evidence as he may think fit, presume the age of the officer or of the child, and that presumed age shall be taken to be the correct age of the officer or of the child for the purposes of the Pension Act.

Required Documents – Contributory Pension Scheme in Kenya

• Employer recommendation letter
• A photocopy of a recognized valid ID
• A Retirement Savings Account number
• Birth certificate to prove age.
• Life insurance policy certificate

Office Locations & Contacts

The Chief Executive

Retirement Benefits Authority

Rahimutulla Towers, Upper Hill Road

P.O. Box 57733-00200 Nairobi

Tel: 2809000, Fax 2710330

Email: inforba@rba.go.ke

Website:http://www.rba.go.ke

Eligibility

The law makes it mandatory for all workers in the Public Service of Kenya, and workers in the private sector where the total number of employees is 5 or more to join the contributory scheme at commencement.

Fees – Contributory Pension Scheme in Kenya

This is for free of charge for registration.

Validity

No expiry date

Processing Time

Processing takes less than 7 days

Instructions

For one to obtain a contributory pension scheme card, one has to visit the main branch or one of the designated branch located across the Country in person.

Required Information

• Full names,
• signature,
• sex,
• date of birth,
• address of residence,
• signature,
• phone number,
• parents details,
• details of biological children and spouses,
• citizenship,
• place of origin,
• employer ,
• Email.

Need for the Document – Contributory Pension Scheme in Kenya

The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)was introduced in Kenya by the Kenyan government in January 1 1946 as part of government’s administrative reforms, to gradually change the tempo of pension administration in Kenya.

The rationale for introducing a contributory scheme for civil servants in Kenya was largely driven by the realisation that the pension liability is set to rise to unsustainable levels.

The Contributory Pension Scheme requires a civilian employee who is not a daily paid or casual worker, and the employer in either the public or private sector organization to contribute to the scheme.

• The first level or zero pillar provides the basic safety net for senior citizens and this covers the most vulnerable people in the society, who are over 65 years of age.

• The second level is the social scheme and this involves automatic enrollment for every citizen about 18 years of age. All employers are eligible to be part of it and it is tied to the income tax system, identity card and social security number.

• The third level is the occupational scheme which is voluntary contribution.

• The fourth level is the personal pension scheme which is personal and it involves annuity and gratuity. Contract workers buy annuity or housing schemes to boost their ego as well as professionals who have been proved to die faster in retirement because of their regimental lifestyles which they cannot continue in retirement.

The employee and the employer are to contribute a minimum of seven and a half per cent (7.5%) each of the employee’s consolidated monthly emoluments (or the employer alone can contribute the minimum fifteen per cent (15%) to the employee’s pension fund.

For the armed forces, the government contributes twelve and a half percent (12 1/2%) and the armed forces personnel contributes two and a half percent (2 1/2%). Those exempted from the scheme are the Chief Justice of Kenya, a Justice of the Supreme Court, President of the Court of Appeal, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, ‘who retires at or after the age of sixty-five years. They retire with their salariesThe objective of this scheme is To Ensure that every person who has worked in either the public or private sector receives his retirement benefits as and when due;To Assist improvident individuals by ensuring that they save to cater for their livelihood during old age;To Establish a uniform set of rules and regulations for the administration and payment of retirement benefits in both the public and private sectors; andTo Stem the growth of out standing pension liabilities

External Links

http://www.kenyalaw.org:8181/exist/kenyalex/actviewbyid.xql?id=KE/LEG/EN/AR/P/CHAPTER%20189

http://www.oecd.org/finance/financial-education/44283282.pdf