Do not take the MP salary raise bait

The re-elected Homa Bay Woman Representative, Gladys Wanga, has thrown the bait into the 12th ‘Blue Ocean’ and the prospects are looking good. Already, the first naïve casualties have been recorded.

“There is a sustained campaign by SRC (Salaries and Remuneration Commission) to reduce MPs to beggars and people who move from one office to another asking for handouts and this will not happen under our watch,” said Ms Wanga.

The Speaker of the National Assembly in the 11th Parliament, Mr Justin Muturi, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission, said the views expressed by Ms Wanga were personal and within her rights and did not represent those of the PSC.

Mr Muturi has shrewdly escaped the bait.

Ms Wanga will be serving her second term in Parliament. From where I sit, she probably will not be seeking another term after 2022. She will be tired of the unfulfilling representation issues and will seek other interesting challenges or quietly fade into oblivion.

FACING VOTERS

Hopefully, she will not be facing the voters’ wrath with regard to her demands for a salary increment even before being sworn in.

Further, remember that it’s the Jubilee government and you, fellow taxpayer, who will have to keep the Honourable Members comfortable for the next five years.

The Nasa team will be joining rights activist and Starehe MP losing candidate Boniface Mwangi as he shops for the dirtiest pigs in town with which to hold demonstrations on Parliament Road.

In the book 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elfers, Law No.8 states: “Make other people come to you – use bait if necessary”. I’ll try to explain that.

When you force the other person to act (the majority of the Jubilee MPs), you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent to abandon their own plans and come to you. Lure them with fabulous gains—then attack. You hold the cards.

CASUALTIES

Already, some notable casualties have been found. Kiambu Woman Rep-elect Gathoni wa Muchomba said SRC should slash or raise salaries the right way, adding: “I want to be paid well. I want to be honoured for who I am.”

Let me remind you “who she is” and what she said during the party primaries on April 28, 2017.

“I will reward them (her Kiambu constituents) with hard work, and I promise them that when I assume office, they will see changes,” said Ms Muchomba, adding that the victory will help her to take her community work a notch higher.

In a past press interview, the former radio personality narrated her humble upbringing in a huge family with a negligent father who hardly took care of his household.

What is happening is, the surviving Nasa lieutenant-general wants the public to get angry with the Jubilee MPs lot and hence give fodder to the Opposition to discredit the regime.

MANDATE

The MPs could, however, find it difficult to reverse SRC’s orders since the Constitution gives it the exclusive mandate to set and review the remuneration and benefits for all State officers—meaning that its decisions are not subject to review by any other institution.

However, MPs may still have the power to annul the gazette notice and revert to their normal earnings.

You may recall that Law No.13 says: “When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude”. If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind them of your past assistance and good deeds. They will find a way to ignore you.

Instead, uncover something (salary increment) in your request, or in your alliance with them, that will benefit them, and emphasize it out of all proportion (call a loner’s press conference).

They will respond enthusiastically when they see something to be gained for themselves.

MORE PAY

Ms Wanga said MPs are not clamouring for more pay but only pushing for the retention of the old rates. ‘My Fren’, give us a break!

But, writing on his Facebook page, Nyali MP-elect Mohamed Ali said he was not keen on a raise: “I, Mohamed Ali Mohamed, do not support any move to increase my salary and that of my fellow elected MPs.”

As we closely follow this unfolding circus, we, the voters, are taking notes. We will not forget Gladys Wanga, Gathoni wa Muchomba and the outlier Ali “Jicho Pevu”.

The writer is a social entrepreneur (real estate), doctoral candidate and a social business leadership researcher. [email protected]