Uhuru sticks to his guns in MP salaries tussle

• Finance minister has confided to aides that MPs won’t raise their pay on his watch

The Treasury is digging in for a fight with MPs pushing to have the government implement the proposals of a salary review commission to award them a hefty pay rise.

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta has told his confidants that he is determined to block the proposed pay increment, which has sparked public outrage.

A person close to the minister said on Saturday that Treasury was confident the MPs would not succeed in sabotaging the government as they have threatened.

The deputy Prime Minister is said to have indicated that the MPs would not raise their salaries “under his watch” at the Treasury.

“He has told us that he would rather be pushed out than pay,” the aide said.

Mr Kenyatta feels he has enough money to run the government until December since Parliament already approved half of this year’s budget, said the source.

“The minister is putting his foot down because frustrating the remaining budget debate would only work against the MPs since money needed to run CDF projects will not be available. This will infuriate the public even more,” said Mr Kenyatta’s confidant who did not wish to be named since he is not the minister’s spokesperson.

Mr Kenyatta is also said to have confided to his allies that he will not bring the Bills required to legalise the proposed pay to the House.

A source close to the minister says that it is up to the MPs to convince President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to consent to the Bills after which Mr Kenyatta can table them.

“The minister cannot bring in money Bills to the House unless he has authority to table them from the two principals,” said the aide.

Expressed reservations

Already, Mr Odinga has expressed reservations about the proposal despite being a major beneficiary. His monthly salary would rise to close to Sh3 million if the proposals are implemented.

The PM recently said that it was unfair for the MPs to increase their pay at a time when Kenya’s economy had not yet recovered.

“My position is very clear... I don’t think the move is right or fair. It is sending wrong signals to the people of this country,” Mr Odinga was reported saying last Sunday.

For his part, Mr Kenyatta has told his associates that he will not bulge even if he is faced with a censure motion in Parliament.

Many MPs, however, believe that nothing will stop them from getting the proposed hefty perks before the August 4 referendum.

Their game plan is straightforward: Shoot down all government motions, Bills and policy papers, including the Finance Bill and the Appropriations Bill.

As a result, the government will be starved of money such that unless and until the new pay package is legalised they will cripple government activities.