FAQs
Membership is automatic for all eligible public service employees aged below 45 years as at 1st January 2021, those who signed the opt-in form in 2021, and for anyone joining the public service thereafter.
At retirement, your benefits will be processed in two parts:
- PSSF – You will file and claim your pension contributions and investment income saved under the scheme.
- Treasury’s Pensions Department (Bima House) – You will claim benefits for your past years of service before joining PSSF.
The two claims are filed separately, processed independently, and paid to you by the two respective institutions.
No. Under Section 5 of the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS) Act, membership is mandatory for all public service employees aged below 45 years as at 1st January, 2021, for those who signed the opt-in form, and for anyone joining the public service thereafter, regardless of membership in another pension scheme.
All PSSF members are exempted from making Tier II contributions to NSSF, as provided under Section 21 of the PSSS Act. However, Tier I contributions remain mandatory, as required by law, and will continue to be remitted to NSSF alongside your participation in the PSSF. Upon retirement, you will receive your NSSF benefits separately and independently from your PSSF benefits, meaning your savings under NSSF and your accrued benefits under PSSF will be paid out as distinct entitlements, in accordance with the respective laws and regulations governing each scheme.
No. Once you join the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS), you automatically cease to be a member of the WCPS. This means your beneficiaries will not receive benefits under WCPS if you die in service. Instead, they will be entitled to the death-in-service benefits provided under the PSSS.
Yes, you can give Additional Voluntary Contributions but the government/employer will not top up its contribution beyond 15%.
While members were initially allowed to use up to 40% of their retirement contributions – capped at a maximum of KSh7 million – as secondary collateral to finance the purchase of a residential house, this provision has been legally suspended by court.
You can track your pension savings through your PSSF member statement by:
- Logging into the PSSF Member Portal at Go to https://mss.pssf.go.ke and click Sign Up.
- Requesting a soft copy version through info@pssf.go.ke
Yes. Under Section 5(4) of the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS) Act, a seconded officer may continue contributing to PSSF and also save their Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) with the scheme.
No. Once you transfer from the mainstream public service to a parastatal that operates a different pension scheme, you automatically cease being a member of PSSF and become a member of your new employer’s pension scheme. Secondly, you cannot save your Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) with PSSF after leaving, since membership to PSSF is strictly tied to active service in the mainstream public service.
Yes. Upon retirement under the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS), you may access up to one-third (1/3) of your total accumulated savings as a lump sum, payable immediately at retirement. The remaining two-thirds (2/3) is converted into a monthly pension (annuity), or into periodic payments as agreed with the Scheme (income draw-down).
Benefits will be paid as per the RBA regulations which caps it at a maximum of 30 days after exit and filing a claim.
Benefits will be equal to = Employer contribution + Employee Contribution + Investment income.
No. Upon retirement under the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS), you may access up to one-third (1/3) of your total accumulated savings as a lump sum, payable immediately at retirement. The remaining two-thirds (2/3) is converted into a monthly pension (annuity), or into periodic payments as agreed with the Scheme (income draw-down).
No. By law, pension benefits cannot be assigned, pledged, or used as security for a loan. This restriction is provided under the Retirement Benefits Act, 1997, which protects members’ savings so that they are preserved strictly for retirement income.
The normal retirement age under the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS) is 60 years for most civil servants. For officers living with disabilities, however, the retirement age is 65 years, in line with government policy.
Yes. If you leave service before the normal retirement age through retrenchment or termination, you will be entitled to 50% of your own contributions and 50% of your employer contribution immediately. The remainder will be preserved in the Scheme until you reach the minimum pensionable age of 50 years.
No. Funds from the old Defined Benefit (DB) scheme cannot be transferred to the new Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS). At retirement, your benefits will be processed in two parts:
(1) From PSSF – you will claim your pension contributions and investment income saved under the scheme.
(2) From Treasury’s Pensions Department (Bima House) – you will claim benefits for your past years of service before joining PSSF.
Your contributions will be invested in line with the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) Investment Guidelines, which currently allow pension funds to be allocated as follows:
- Government securities – up to 100%
- Quoted equities (shares listed at NSE) – up to 70%
- Corporate bonds and commercial paper – up to 30%
- Property (real estate) – up to 30%
- Offshore investments – up to 15%
- Private equity and venture capital – up to 10%
- Cash and deposits – up to 5%
The aim is to balance security, growth, and liquidity of your savings while minimizing risk through portfolio diversification.
No. Member contributions will not be used to cover administration expenses. It is also not anticipated that there will be “no returns” because investments are diversified across different asset classes – such as government securities, equities, property, and offshore investments – precisely to minimize risk and safeguard members against poor performance in any one sector.
Member interests are safeguarded through the governance and oversight structure of the Public Service Superannuation Scheme (PSSS):
The Board of Trustees includes representatives from key public service unions — KNUT, KUPPET, and the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) — who directly represent members’ voices.
Oversight is further strengthened by representation from the Public Service Commission, Teachers Service Commission, the National Treasury, and the National Police Service, ensuring broad accountability.
All investments and operations are regulated under the Retirement Benefits Act and supervised by the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), which protects members against misuse of funds.
The Scheme is audited every year by independent auditors, and the reports are submitted to the RBA and the National Treasury to guarantee transparency and accountability.
Members also receive regular statements and reports on their contributions and fund performance.
No. The Board’s expenses are not taken from members’ contributions. Instead, they are met from the investment income generated by the Fund, and even then, they are strictly capped at a maximum of 10% of that income in line with the law.