MPs Approve Salary and Perk Increase

Blog Loise Mwakamba
[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Image via kiki99 on Flickr"][/caption]
In a move that is sure to cause outrage among Kenyans (and that takes us back to the origins of Mzalendo), Kenyan MP have unanimously approved the Akiwumi PSC report which recommends higher salaries and increased perks for MPs.  It does not escape our attention that vote precedes the referendum vote in August and that the new constitution will eliminate tax-free allowances and arbitrary salary increases for MPs.
MP Walter Nyambati defended the review of the report recommendations, "saying the Commission increased the perks to ensure that the salaries of MPs are not reduced since the proposed Constitution declares null and void any law that exempts the allowances of MPs."
Among other things, the report:
  • Raises MP salaries from Sh851, 000 ($10,411.82) to Sh1.1 million ($13,455.76) per month
  • Proposes that the Speaker be entitled to a sitting allowance of Sh30,000 up from Sh10,000 while MPs will take home Sh10,000 up from Sh5,000 for each sitting.
  • Proposes that the mortgage for the MPs be raised from the maximum Sh15 million to Sh20 million.
  • Those MPs who do not make it back to Parliament after elections will enjoy a lifetime pension of Sh100, 000 monthly.
  • Car maintenance allowance to be increased from Kshs 95,000 per month to Kshs 75,000
  • A Kshs 140,000 tax-exempt house allowance
  • Increment of maternity cover to Kshs 500,000 from Kshs 100,000 per family
  • Increased Maternity Leave pay of Kshs 60,000 per month for three months
  • A new Kshs 30,000 Paternity Leave pay
  • Group Life and Personal Accident cover of Kshs 10,622,200 to extend to death by natural causes, and not limited to through accident
  • Speaker pension of Kshs 1.2 million for every year worked and a Kshs 6 million "winding up allowance."
  • Kshs 75,000 per month to all former MPs without pension
  • Kshs 336,000 "controversial allowance" in mileage claims