Speaker summons MPs for retirement talks

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim has summoned MPs to a special meeting to discuss their retirement.

Mr Maalim said the meeting will have officials from the Treasury who’re expected to tell MPs how to work on their pensions once the money taps run dry at the expiry of their term on January 14, 2013.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Maalim, told the MPs to show up for the meeting on Thursday at 11am, in the main chambers.

MPs earn a minimum gross pay of Sh851,000, and they contribute 12.6 per cent of this money to the Pension Fund, which is managed by a management committee chaired by the Speaker, and in which senior Treasury officials, such as the Permanent Secretary and Accounts Controller, also sit.

With a substantial number of the MPs expected to lose out at the polls, many will be keen to get tips on how to survive out of the august House. Those who get re-elected in the March polls, will not get the pension.

The Tenth Parliament has been the most progressive of all Parliaments since independence, but majority of the MPs have lost popularity in their constituencies, because, once they got elected in 2007, they never set foot back home to fulfill the campaign promises.

An MP is eligible for the pension after having served in Parliament for two terms.

The current Parliament had approved a report that sought MPs pension to be USD1,000 (Sh85,000) every month for the rest of their lives out of politics just after serving for one term . The Treasury rejected the proposal and has never presented a Bill to comply with the controversial House resolution.

Aside from the pensions, the MPs will get Sh3.72 million each as gratuity, for having served for five years. The amount was doubled, by the Tenth Parliament, from Sh1.5 million that the MPs of the last Parliament took home.

However, the constitutionality of the Sh3.72 million for each, is still pending in court.