CIC opposes Kibaki, PM hefty send-off perks

VP Kalonzo Musyoka (left) leads President Mwai Kibaki (second left), Prime Minister Raila Odinga and House Speaker Kenneth Marende (right) as they head to the conference hall soon after they arrived at the Mombasa Continental Resort on June 8, 2012. Photo/GIDEON MAUNDU 

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU
Posted  Wednesday, December 26  2012 at  16:06

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) has rejected two new Bills that prescribe hefty retirement packages for the President, the Vice President, Prime Minister and other senior State officers. Read (Don’t sign Bill awarding MPs Sh2bn, Kibaki urged)

Speaking to the Nation, the chairman of the commission, Mr Charles Nyachae, said the setting of retirement packages for the State Officers was the mandate of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

Mr Nyachae added that he’ll be writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Kenneth Marende, to stop Parliament from working on the Bills.

The two Bills are the Presidential Retirement Benefits (amendment) Bill 2012 and the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Bill, 2012.

The Bills were published late last week, and are awaiting debate in the House.

While the former seeks to amend the retirement benefits for President Kibaki, the latter goes on to provide for the retirement package of the Deputy President, the Chief Justice and his deputy, the Attorney General, the Chief of Defence Forces, and the Speakers of the Senate and National Assembly plus their deputies.

The CIC boss said that so far, his commission had no evidence that the Bills had been approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

“To the extent that these Bills address the terms of State Officers, they need the input of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission,” said Mr Nyachae.

He added that it would be a “violation of the Constitution” to have Parliament set benefits for State Officers, because, that was the constitutional jurisdiction of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, House Speaker Kenneth 

Marende and his deputy Farah Maalim are poised to get a total of over Sh50 million lumpsum payout as soon as they leave office, if the two Bills are approved.

The two Deputy Prime Ministers Musalia Mudavadi and Uhuru Kenyatta will also have a mouth-watering golden handshake when the National Accord expires on Election Day in March 4, 2013.

The deal is so good for these officers such that even if they die in their retirement, their children will get paid up to half the benefits until they reach 24 years, and in some cases, the taxpayer will foot the bill of the child for the rest of that child’s life.

They will also be eligible for a monthly pension at 80 per cent of their current monthly salaries for the rest of their lives.

They will also get house, entertainment, fuel, and utilities allowances, computed as a fraction of their current salary, for the rest of their lives.

Finance Minister Njeru Githae has proposed in the Bills that the President’s benefits calculated at between 15 per cent and 80 per cent of his salary.

He wants a maximum of six security guards, and four cooks, four gardeners, four house keepers, four laundry persons all paid for by the taxpayer.

The Finance Minister has also recommended a diplomatic passport for a retired President Kibaki and First Lady Lucy Kibaki

Mr Odinga, Mr Musyoka and Mr Marende will each get Sh5.4 million to take home.