Rift Valley, Nyanza MPs join push for pay increase

A section of MPs from Rift Valley and Nyanza want their basic salaries increased to Sh2 million per month.

They said the increment would enable them to serve tax payers who go to seeking assistance.

The MPs led by Homa Bay MP Peter Kaluma said plans to have their salaries tripled would start once they manage to disband the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

He said: “Before I became Homa Bay MP I used to earn more than Sh1 million a month and will not accept to take home Sh800,000.”

They were speaking during a funds drive at St Barnabas ACK Church in Kapsabet, Nandi County.

Other leaders at the function were Elijah Lagat (Chesumei), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Charles Gimose (Hamisi) and Nandi County women representative Zipporah Kering.

Last week, Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi said he would table a motion in Parliament seeking to disband the Serem-led commission.

Dr Robert Pukose (Endebes) said: “If SRC chairperson Sarah Serem thinks that Sh7 million for MPs to purchase a vehicle is too high then the government should give us a vehicle, fuel, a driver and maintenance for the next five years. What criteria did the salaries commission use to slush MPs’ salaries?”

He said MPs support a lot of community welfare projects back in their constituencies and faulted the SRC for putting their salaries at Sh532,000 down from Sh851,000 earned by their counterparts in the 10th Parliament.

However, Mosop MP Stephen Bitok and his Emgwen counterpart Alex Kosgey disagreed with their colleagues saying salaries should not be a priority.

“Kenyans should focus more on developments projects since the election is over and stop spending all their energy on salaries,” they said.

“My voters are more interested in how we can improve infrastructure because roads are impassable in this rainy season and a lot of farm produce is going to waste," they added.