Parliament’s wage bill doubles to Sh9.2bn

Politics and policy

A past session at the National Assembly in Nairobi. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

By GERALD ANDAE

In Summary

• The Controller of Budget’s latest report shows that wage bill of the National Assembly and the Senate hit Sh9.2 billion in the year to June.
• The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had earlier restricted committee meetings to a maximum of four per week, but the MPs can now hold as many sessions as they deem necessary. 
• The parliamentary staff such as researchers, Hansard reporters and support workers also increased in line with the expanded House.

Parliament’s wage bill has doubled under the devolved system of governance that increased the number of legislators and left MPs with hefty perks. The Controller of Budget’s latest report shows that wage bill of the National Assembly and the Senate hit Sh9.2 billion in the year to June.

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This dwarfs the Sh3.6 billion that MP’s earned in the year to June 2012 and the Sh4 billion paid to the legislators in the period to June 2013 —which straddled both the 10th and 11th Parliament after last year’s General Election.

The current Parliament has 418 members, which includes 68 Senators and 47 Women Representatives, up from 222 legislators under the centralised system of government. The lawmakers have also benefited from hefty perks, including sitting and mileage allowances that has highlighted their position as among the best paid legislators in Africa.

The Controller of Budget report offers the first assessment of the cost of expanded Parliament and the pay deal agreed last year with Deputy President William Ruto that cut the MPs basic pay, but only in exchange for a tax-free car grant, mileage allowances, pensions and unlimited committee sessions.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had earlier restricted committee meetings to a maximum of four per week, but the MPs can now hold as many sessions as they deem necessary. 

Kenya launched the devolved system of government, which created 47 regional counties, last year to try to hasten rural development, but with it nearly doubled the elective positions. The legal review left the country with 350 lawmakers, including 47 new women representatives, up from 222 previously and 68 new senators.

The parliamentary staff such as researchers, Hansard reporters and support workers also increased in line with the expanded House. The cost of paying a new layer of officials comes at a time when Kenya is struggling to cover Civil Service wages after agreeing huge salary increases for teachers, doctors and the police.

“Parliament has combined staff establishment of 1,200. The staff is spread across the National Assembly, the Senate and parliamentary joint staff,” reads Parliament’s budget statement.

Though each of the  Members of the National Assembly and Senate earn a basic monthly salary of Sh532,500, allowances push their monthly take-home to more than Sh1 million. MPs earn an additional income by holding as many committee sessions as they deem necessary. 

The MPs spent a whopping Sh3 billion on local and foreign travel in the fiscal year ended June, says the Controller of Budget’s latest report.