Serem, county assembly members clash over salaries

Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) chairperson Sarah Serem has vowed not to raise the salaries of county representatives until they submit for job re-evaluation.

“The Commission has hired a consultant, necessary groundwork has been done and what is left is for the MCAs and other members of the County government to avail themselves for the job re-evaluation exercise,” she said.

Ms Serem claimed that the county reps failed to turn up for the exercise despite invitations being extended to them.

However, County Representatives Forum Secretary General Albert Kochei said no member will turn up for the re-evaluation exercise unless their demands are met.

The Elgeyo-Marakwet Speaker insisted that during their meeting last week they had demanded they be provided with a report on the evaluation which was done before they came into office.

“We demanded for a job re-evaluation and a report from the SRC. What we received was an extract of the report,” he said on phone.

Mr Kochei added that they “cannot be subjected to any process until we know the contents of the entire original document.”

His comments were echoed by Nuh Nassir Abdi, chairman of the County Assembly Forum, who also said that the County Assemblies will remain adjourned.

“No job re-evaluation will be done until the report of the purported first evaluation is released,” he said in a phone interview.

Ms Serem said the decision to carry out a re-evaluation exercise was reached during a meeting with members of the Speakers’ Forum last Wednesday.

According to the SRC, the meeting also reached an agreement to approve facilitation perks including sitting allowances (Sh3,000 with a maximum of eight sittings per week), transport (Sh20,000), responsibility allowances (maximum Sh32,000) and airtime (Sh5,000).

SRC agreed to the perks upon “taking into consideration the constraints County Representatives face when carrying out their duties.”

'NEVER ASKED FOR ALLOWANCES'

But Mr Kochei said this should not be used to demonize them, since they never asked for the allowances.

“SRC should stop lying to Kenyans. It was not a favour. When we were elected we never asked for allowances and it should not be used as if we have gained anything,” he said.

He added that the representatives are not on a strike, since they are still attending to their committees. Confirming that that they are not attending plenary sessions, he said that was because they have adjourned constitutionally.

The commission has been on the spot as it tries to tame the rising wage bill occasioned by various positions created by the new Constitution.

County speakers earlier this month demanded a 127 per cent salary increase from the current Sh225,000 to Sh512,545. A proposal by Nairobi City County Speaker Alex ole Magelo on behalf of the County Speakers’ Panel also waned county representatives’ earnings increased by more than 350 per cent to Sh275,492 up from the current Sh79,000. (READ: Give us the money, speakers tell Serem team)

After a vicious fight with Members of Parliament over their earnings, the commission yielded to pressure and gave in to demands that raised their salaries to almost a million shillings.

The senate has also picked a bone with her and said the way she treats the County Reps could determine the success or failure of counties.

County Assemblies are crucial to the smooth running of operations at the county level, especially since it is their constitutional mandate to approve crucial bills such as the Finance Bill.