MPs in fresh bid to raise their pay

MPs are seeking to change the Constitution to allow them to determine their own salaries and allowances. Photo/FILE

What you need to know:

  • Lawmakers launch push to amend the law to have themselves, judges and magistrates cease to be State officers
  • The enactment of the Bill, which has already been published in the Kenya Gazette, will give MPs a free hand to raise their pay and allowances at will, an eventuality the SRC warns will result in an unsustainable public wage bill.
  • Currently, the Speaker of the National Assembly earns Sh1.4 million per month in basic salary and allowances while MPs and senators earn Sh1.3 million.

MPs are seeking to change the Constitution to allow them to determine their own salaries and allowances.

Should their efforts succeed, Kenyans will spend an additional Sh7 billion every year on salaries for MPs, judges and magistrates.

The parliamentary committee on Justice and Legal Affairs plans to move a Bill, whose aim is to remove MPs, judges and magistrates from the category of state officers— thus stopping the Salaries and Remuneration Commission from setting their pay.

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The enactment of the Bill, which has already been published in the Kenya Gazette, will give MPs a free hand to raise their pay and allowances at will, an eventuality the SRC warns will result in an unsustainable public wage bill.

Also set to reap handsomely, if the Bill is passed, are county representatives who will be excluded from the list of State officers.

Currently, the Speaker of the National Assembly earns Sh1.4 million per month in basic salary and allowances while MPs and senators earn Sh1.3 million.

MPs are, however, proposing that the current figures be revised upwards with a speaker earning Sh1.6 million and MPs Sh1.5 million per month.

The Chief Justice takes home Sh990,000 in salary and allowances per month while the deputy CJ earns Sh821,000. Supreme Court judges earn Sh792,000, judges of Court of Appeal (Sh655,000), High Court judges (Sh532,000) and magistrates (Sh445,000).

The lawmakers want the CJ to earn Sh1.2 million, deputy CJ and Supreme Court judge (Sh1 million), Court of Appeal judges (Sh933,000), High Court judges (Sh843,000) and magistrates (Sh731,000).

County Assembly representatives have also been pushing to have their salaries and allowances raised from the current Sh99,000 to Sh300,000 as their speakers’ pay is raised from Sh225,000 to Sh511,000 per month.

The bill proposes the amendment to Article 260 of the Constitution. The salaries team yesterday opposed the proposal.

“It goes against good practice to have an employee set his/her own remunerations and benefit. This is prone to abuse and prejudice in awarding themselves unjustified high wages and benefits leading to a bloated wage bill,” SRC said.

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