The MPs are increasingly becoming notorious for almost exclusively focusing on what they can personally gain from their lofty position in society instead of devoting themselves to their cardinal role of making laws and articulating the interests of the millions of fellow Kenyans that they represent in the august House.
Quite shocking is the revelation that they want a horde of new perks approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). These include the recently awarded special ‘night duty’ allowance. Their argument is that when they are in Nairobi for their legislative duty; they are away from their constituencies and, therefore, the taxpayer should pay for their stay in the city.
This may sound like an intelligent pitch but it rings hollow and is just a manifestation of the unimaginable greed that seems to have lately gripped the people once proudly referred to as “honourable Members of Parliament”.
There is, of course, absolutely no honour in this singular and dogged pursuit of self-gain. Indeed, our MPs are some of the most highly paid. It’s a shame, considering that our economy is one of the poorest and shouldering the burden of the MPs’ gluttony takes away even the little resources available from more pressing needs of the population, such as provision of healthcare, water and other services.
This new outrageous plot comes hot on the heels of the controversial Sh250,000 house allowance that they awarded themselves on top of a generous mortgage scheme.
They also receive obscene compensation for doing the job for which they were elected, in the first place. Payment of sitting allowances in the parliamentary committees is simply obnoxious.
The committee work is at the core of the legislative mandate and agenda. Why should they be paid separately to undertake this?
These and other new allowances that the MPs are demanding will deviously push up their pay to Sh2.9 million a month from about Sh1 million.
They are contained in a memorandum of the Parliamentary Service Commission to the SRC. The already pampered lawmakers also want their car grants increased from Sh5 million to Sh10 million.
They also want the plenary sitting allowance of Sh7,500 the SRC scrapped in July 2017 reinstated. Should this be endorsed, the sitting allowance in committees for chairpersons will be Sh15,000. Vice-chairpersons will get Sh12,000 and ordinary members Sh7,5000. Currently, the chairpersons pocket Sh8,000 and vice-chairs and other members Sh5,000 each.
There is also a special allowance of Sh150,000 for parliamentary office holders.
The MPs also want reinstated an optical benefit of Sh100,000 as well as a Sh100,000 dental cover. The children covered by their medical scheme will be increased to five and spouses to two.
And the gravy train would not stop there. The proposals include having MPs who lose an election after serving for only one term receive a gratuity of 31 per cent of the basic pay at the end of their term and a refund of their contributions without attracting interest. This clamour for perks is getting out of hand.
It’s a shame that our MPs have become such serial extortionists, who will stop at nothing in their relentless scheming to have more.
And this at a time when their fellow Kenyans can hardly put a decent meal on the table as the country grapples with serious economic difficulties.
It has become apparent that the lawmakers’ creativity has gone into overdrive as they continually devise ways to get around the constitutional requirement that the SRC must approve their salaries and other perks. After all, the SRC arose out of the need to ensure that State officers do not determine their own remuneration.
Having the SRC would avert the chaos that would ensue if government officers could just raise their pay at will. The other day, the MPs threatened to slash the budget of the SRC if they did not have their way.
MPs must not be allowed to raid the public coffers for their own comfort. Surely, enriching or ensconcing themselves in extreme comfort cannot be the motivation for leadership.
The obsession with self-fulfilment is not a quality of good leadership. The motivation is service to others as a calling and not the insatiable greed that this Parliament exhibits.
President Uhuru Kenyatta should not hesitate to invoke his Executive powers under the Constitution to save the country from this mess, the principle of separation of powers notwithstanding.
The lawmakers owe the hardworking taxpayers a debt of gratitude for the sacrifice to keep the country running, and must hang their heads in shame.
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