Verdict on MPs’ tax

• 90 per cent of Kenyans want leaders’ allowances taxed
• Most say the legislators earn too much
• Many unhappy with law makers’ performance

According to the poll, it is only in North Eastern province that the number of those in support of the taxation falls below 85 per cent.

The survey also indicated that the public feels the MPs are paid too much, with only 10 per cent of the respondents describing the pay as “about right”. 

“Provincial variations here are very minor, with the figure for this response nowhere falling below 87 per cent,” the poll findings indicate.

Most people do not know that MPs pay tax on their basic pay.

Less than half of the respondents said they about this. This awareness was highest in Nairobi with 53 per cent of the population saying they were aware and lowest in Coast Province at 30 per cent.

And only eight per cent of Kenyans support partial taxation of the MP’s pay.

Three MPs, Mr Johnstone Muthama (Kangundo), Mr Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa) and Tetu’s Francis Nyammo have written to Parliament asking that their perks be taxed. However, the Speaker has said that such taxation would be illegal.

Instead, he proposed that the leaders donate the money to a charity of their choice.

The Steadman poll also shows that 43 per cent of Kenyans rate the performance of their legislators as poor while 30 per cent say it is fair.

Only 19 per cent of the respondents felt that their MP was doing a good job.

Scored highest

Legislators from the North Eastern Province scored the highest in performance with 32 per cent of the respondents approving their performance as good.

The range of such “good” scores elsewhere was modest, from 22 per cent in Central Province to 15 per cent in Western and Nyanza provinces.