News
Verdict on MPs’ tax
Posted Tuesday, November 25 2008 at 22:51
In Summary
- 90 per cent of Kenyans want leaders’ allowances taxed
- Most say the legislators earn too much
- Many unhappy with law makers’ performance
A vast majority of Kenyans want MPs to pay taxes on their hefty allowances, according to a new opinion poll.
Ninety per cent of those polled said their leaders should be taxed just like any other Kenyan.
The survey also found that majority of Kenyans felt that the salaries and allowances of their MPs are too high while their performance was rated as “poor”.
The opinion poll was a vote of no confidence by the electorate in a parliament which was voted in only 11 months ago and majority of whose members are newcomers.
Budget presentation
But even as the electorate was censuring the performance of lawmakers, MPs still deleted provisions which would have made them pay taxes on their allowances like all other Kenyans .
The proposals to tax the MPs had been made by the then Finance minister Amos Kimunya during the Budget presentations in June.
They later passed a vote of no-confidence against him, saying he was to blame over the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel, privatisation of Telkom Kenya, a dispute over the printing of currencies and the Safaricom Initial Public Offering.
A commission appointed by the President to investigate Mr Kimunya over the hotel saga is said to have cleared him.
And on Tuesday, the leaders proposed the formation of a tribunal to study how MPs allowances should be taxed if at all.
Currently, an MP pays only Sh53,000 per month income tax on the monthly salary of Sh200,000 but their allowances totalling Sh600,000 is not taxed.
The opinion poll conducted by The Steadman Group for the Nation Media Group showed that wananchi were unhappy with MPs over their failure to pay tax on their allowances.
Random sample
A random sample of 2,051 adults in 53 districts were polled for the survey which was conducted between November 20 and November 23.
The opinion poll indicates that 90 per cent of Kenyans believe that Members of Parliament should pay taxes for all the money they earn.
-
Submitted by directoryPosted November 27, 2008 02:37 PM
-
Submitted by Jangerboy
I cannot believe that the voices of change that most MPs were during election campaigns are now conspiring silently to escape the tax for their allowances! We, Kenyans want every Kenyan to pay tax. If there are to be any exemptions, not for the rich surely!! Pay up, honourable MPs or quit!
Posted November 27, 2008 12:21 PM -
Submitted by score
Taxes should be paid by all citizens or non citizens living in any country.600,000 is a lot of money to award a well dressed thief masquerading as the peoples representative. we have had enough of your "favor yourself governing polices" i say reduce the allowance to below 400,000 and still tax it
Posted November 27, 2008 12:04 PM -
Submitted by BleedingLove
I wish one day I can decide what I get paid [from tax money ].
Posted November 27, 2008 10:07 AM -
Submitted by jenesiok
You want know what caused the French revolution? MPs, the Landed and the Clergy were a previliged lot who never paid taxes. But the landless and voteless commoner had to pay taes apende asipende since he could not vote against it. See what is happening in Thailand now?
Posted November 27, 2008 07:03 AM
RSS
Can't believe jmarka04 just insulted majority of the Kenyans. Are you one of them living lavishly on our hard earned monies? The law justs gives the minimum they should pay not the maximum. There is no reason why one should not contribute towards building a better nation, we the common wananchi do so why not the men and women with the title'honorable'?