Speaker asks MPs to pay tax

• Marende urges them to emulate three colleagues who have embraced the proposal

Pressure for MPs to have their hefty allowances taxed went a notch higher on Monday, with the National Assembly Speaker asking them to hear the cries of Kenyans.

As Mr Kenneth Marende was speaking, it emerged that three MPs had written to Parliament asking that their perks be taxed.

They are Mr Johnstone Muthama (Kangundo), Mr Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa) and Tetu’s Francis Nyammo.

Mr Marende, who is a former Emuhaya MP, asked other lawmakers to follow suit, describing the move by the three as “a philanthropic gesture”.

Mr Muthama wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly Patrick Gichohi last week so that his Sh600,000 allowances could be taxed every month.

Thorny issue

Parliament resumes this morning after a 10-day break, with the first agenda being the refusal by MPs to be taxed.

A meeting will be held this morning to deal with the thorny issue before acting Finance minister John Michuki moves the Finance Bill in the afternoon.

MPs frustrated the Bill just before they went for the break, and today’s meeting seeks to win them over.

The Bill contains the controversial clause to tax their perks, which they have opposed strongly.

In his letter, Mr Kioni said: “This is to authorise you to tax my monthly salary/allowances. This has been my personal conviction even before I was elected to Parliament, and ever since no enough or plausible reasons that have been deduced from any quarters to make me think otherwise.”

The Speaker said the laws would have to be changed first before taxing perks of all the 222 MPs, who include all 40 Cabinet ministers, President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.

Fielding questions from the media after meeting a six-man delegation of MPs from the House of Lords and the House of Commons, led by Mr Nigel Evans, the Speaker said: “If an MP wants to make an extra contribution, apart from the Sh200,000 taxable salary, because they feel philanthropic, they are free to do so and I urge the others to follow suit.”

Mr Marende described the decision by the Kangundo MP as voluntary.

Earlier, the VP said he would take up the matter and challenge MPs to reconsider their hard stance and lead by examples in paying taxes like their electorate.