MPs to pocket millions of shillings in mileage claims

Less than a month after winning big on disputed car grants, MPs are expected to start receiving millions of shillings in weekly mileage claims.

This comes after the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), the MPs’ employer, reverted to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) circular of November 15, 2013.

The Treasury is expected to release Sh2.1 billion in car grants to MPs five months after it was abolished by SRC through a gazette notice in July 2017.

BUDGET

This means that each of the 416 MPs in the National Assembly and the Senate will now get Sh5 million, which was included in the PSC budget passed in March 2017.

With a mileage allowance to boot, this is a sure win for the MPs predicated on a High Court ruling which suspended the SRC gazette notice in a case filed by PSC.

The suspended SRC notice had introduced a new regime that sought to have senators and National Assembly members paid a fixed monthly transport allowance through the payroll.

In a memo to members, National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai said mileage allowance and claim were to be calculated based on the AA rates and the distance from Parliament Buildings to the members’ homes.

In the 2017 notice, SRC had recommended a distance calculated from Parliament to members’ respective county headquarters.

“This is to bring to your attention that the mileage allowances will be reimbursed based on the actual distances covered by the member subject to provisions of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission circular of 2013,” Mr Sialai said. The directive from Mr Sialai takes effect from December 14, 2017.

COURT ORDER

Other than the court order, PSC has been negotiating with the salaries team over an agreeable settlement formula after members protested the new recommendations.

The distances used are based on submissions from Kenya Rural Roads Authority, an agency under the Transport ministry.

Those to benefit will be MPs from outside Nairobi as it factors in constituencies that fall within a radius of 375km from Nairobi, meaning city and nominated MPs will not be eligible.

The mileage allowance will be paid in two components. One is the fixed car maintenance allowance to be paid at the rate of Sh356,525 per month through the payslip.

The other one is the mileage allowance, a claimable amount for actual extra kilometres travelled by a member whose area of representation is beyond 375km.

The claims will be processed on weekly basis.

According to Mr Sialai, eligible members are required to fill a mileage reimbursement claim form for the claimable distance covered based on the provisions of the SRC circular.