Kenyan Lawmakers Pursue Jumbo Pay

[abujagirl]

Kenyan lawmakers are seeking to change the Constitution to allow them to determine their own salaries and allowances.

Should their efforts succeed, Kenyans will spend an additional Sh7 billion every year on salaries for MPs, judges and magistrates.

The enactment of the Bill, which has already been published in the Kenya Gazette, will give MPs a free hand to raise their pay and allowances at will, an eventuality the Salaries and Remuneration Commission , SRC warns will result in an unsustainable public wage bill.

Also set to reap handsomely, if the Bill is passed, are county representatives who will be excluded from the list of State officers.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission, SRC which sets up the lawmakers salaries yesterday opposed the proposal.

“It goes against good practice to have an employee set his/her own remunerations and benefit. This is prone to abuse and prejudice in awarding themselves unjustified high wages and benefits leading to a bloated wage bill,” SRC said.