Lawmaker asks State to pay ex-MPs pension

The 196 one-term MPs who lost their seats at the August 8 election are yet to receive their pension payoff, an MP said Tuesday, and there are concerns they may be suffering.

Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu asked Speaker Justin Muturi to intervene to save his former colleagues, saying the situation has arisen partly because of the failure to set up committees in the House.

“Because they are still our colleagues and we interact with them (and) its almost three months since they lost their seats. There are other issues we would want to articulate but not in a plenary like this,” Mr Mulu told the Speaker.

MOVE ON

Mr Mulu said his former colleagues are eager to continue with their lives and start new lives asked Mr Muturi to say what would happen.

Majority Leader Aden Duale told MPs he would move a motion on the appointment of three members to the Pension Management Committee, which also has representatives from Treasury and the Attorney General’s office.

MPs Dan Wanyama (Webuye West, Jubilee), Rehema Dida Jaldesa (Isiolo Woman Rep, Jubilee), and Andrew Mwadime (Mwatate, ODM) have been selected to join the pensions committee and their colleagues will this morning be asked to endorse them.

The Speaker said the House’s decision on the naming of members to that committee would provide some direction on the matter.

Mr Muturi said the committee could then invite Mr Mulu to discuss the issue.

PENSIONS ACT

Each of the MPs is entitled to a one-off payment of Sh18.8 million, meaning the pay-out would amount to Sh3.68 billion.

MPs’ pensions are catered for under the Parliamentary Pensions Act, which stipulates that only those who serve for two terms are entitled to Sh125,000 every month for the rest of their lives.

Those who serve one term are refunded the equivalent of three times their monthly pension deductions plus 15 per cent interest for every year served.

The Parliamentary Service Commission deducts 12.75 per cent of each MPs’ pay  and deposits that into the Consolidated Fund.

In August, the Pensions Department said a decision would have to be made on whether MPs would be paid a gratuity (calculated at Sh6.7 million) or the one-off payment.

Director of Pensions Shem Nyakutu said the gratuity or end-of-term payments would be paid once the Salary and Remunerations Commission and the Parliamentary Service Commission agree on which of the two retirement packages would be paid out.