MP wants his pay and perks to be taxed

An MP wants his salary and allowances taxed.

Kangundo’s Johnstone Muthama said on Saturday that he wrote a letter to the National Assembly Clerk and the commissioner of income tax on November 18 asking them to tax his pay and perks.

The refusal by his parliamentary colleagues to have their perks taxed is not a wise move, he said. “Before the law we are all equal; ordinary Kenyans expect their elected representatives to lead from the front, and this should be seen when it comes to paying taxes,” he said.

“Everybody wants MPs to pay taxes — church leaders, Islamic preachers, hawkers and the poor man in the village who expect the taxes to help improve his or her livelihood. They have all said MPs should be taxed,” he said.

Mr Muthama was fielding questions from journalists when he led a team of visiting South Korean missionaries to a site in Miu location in the constituency, which has been earmarked for a secondary school.