The new trick MPs have devised to increase their salaries

dennis kibet

December 6, 2017 9:56 AM

In a rare show of unity in Parliament, both NASA and Jubilee worked together to pass the new proposal.

In a move that will likely irk taxpayers, Members of Parliament have devised a new method aimed at increasing their salaries.

The MPs started the process of amending the house rules to ensure that a legislator can be appointed to at least two House Committees despite the Salary and Remuneration Committee (SRC) slashing their salaries.

Rare show of Unity

In a rare show of unity in Parliament, both NASA and Jubilee worked together in amending the House Rules to allow each of the 349 lawmakers to be appointed to at least two committees resulting in higher perks for the legislators.

According to The Nation, the MPs approved the membership of the Committee on Selection and the Procedure and House Rules Committee.

The National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale announced the first order of business at the House Rules Committee will be to change of the Standing Orders to increase the size of departmental and select committees.

“We have looked at the numbers and we have realised that we have some gaps, and that is why these members will receive our concerns, through our Whips, on where we want the Standing Orders amended and every member of our House, the 349, can be in two committees — one departmental and one select, comfortably,” said Mr Duale.

Minority Leader John Mbadi echoed Duale's sentiments.

New structure

“The numbers we have are too restrictive. With 349 members in this House, we need a member to be in at least two committees,” Mbadi stated.

Under the new structure drawn by the SRC, MPs salaries were slashed from Sh710, 000 to Sh620, 000.

Special responsibility allowances, as well as mileage and sitting allowances were also abolished under the new structure.

The lawmakers through the Parliamentary Service Commission accused SRC of unfairly targeting them in its efforts to slash the public wage bill.

dennis kibet