Politics
Draft: President and MPs must pay taxes
Posted Monday, November 23 2009 at 22:00
In Summary
- Prime minister, vice president, military top brass and judges also to give their dues
MPs earn about Sh850,000 each a month, out of which only the basic salary of Sh200,000 is taxed. The allowances are mainly made up of mileage and entertainment perks, which are tax-free. The president is paid Sh2 million a month and is not taxed.
Due to public pressure, the Parliamentary Service Commission appointed a tribunal to collect public views on MPs’ taxes and pay.
During the hearings, Kenya Revenue Authority strongly recommended taxation of the entire pay of MPs, saying taxation was a “nuisance and painful to everyone” but paying taxes was not optional.
The tribunal, headed by retired judge Akilano Akiwumi, handed its report to National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende two weeks ago even though its contents are yet to be made public.
Mr Marende said the report would be tabled in the House once he has read it. However, those who have seen the report said it proposed taxation of MPs’ salaries and allowances in addition to setting clear pay and allowances for the vice-president and the prime minister.
If the draft constitution becomes law, the president, PM, ministers and MPs will start paying taxes after the 2012 elections.
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Submitted by mutuwa123Posted November 24, 2009 08:24 AM
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Submitted by malikason
they should pay backtaxes too,when kra was cracking down on tax defaulters many businesses were forced to close,how many people lost their hard earned money and how many were left jobless,we need a constitution that takes care of the hard working kenyans
Posted November 24, 2009 08:01 AM -
Submitted by werssylwer
Here we go again! So, u tell me, should these people elect our Chief Executive? With all the objections they have had about their salaries being taxed? They shot down Kimunya and all bloggers were happy about it!! Good grief me, kenyans need the East African Community like yesterday!!
Posted November 24, 2009 07:54 AM -
Submitted by Nichoo
The tax free holiday should be over with our greedy leaders.What do they do or perform extra than peasant farmers and other junior civil servants or small businessman? To me this is how minorities were degraded and slavised in US.But the voice of reason came with no paying taxes with no representation.Our MPs,Judges and the two principals dont represent us if they dont care of the taxes which develop for all.They should resign!
Posted November 24, 2009 06:40 AM -
Submitted by Gita70Gama
Our MPs and their minders deserve every penny of their meager salaries. Consider this, they finance funerals, harambees, hospital bills and the list goes on. Now they have to pay taxes in addition, poor people. Who can't see sense in them having humble 4wd to visit ungrateful constituents. Infact they need special roads and infrastucture to make them more efficient in their National duties.
Posted November 24, 2009 01:29 AM
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We also need laws that make it clear that public service is not the same as self service. Tighten rules on conflicts of interest for the state’s legislators — creating, for instance, an independent ethics panel to monitor the Legislature. It would forbid the lawmakers from using public resources to enhance their private businesses, even indirectly. Serious ethics legislation should also require legislators to declare, publicly and clearly, where they get their private money. To oversee these changes, the Legislature should set up an independent commission to monitor legislative behavior.