Ex-councillors should have saved for retirement, just like everyone else does

The Senate in session. A total of 12,000 ex-councillors want the government to pay them Sh18 billion at a go and then Sh30,000 each per month so that they can lead respectable lives. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Civic leaders were also never expected to report to work every morning, and so they had all the time to make money and many did
• "It is surprising that 12,000 former councillors want the government to pay them Sh18 billion at a go.”
• Considering that Senators take home Sh1.3 million every month, they obviously cannot see why the fuss about a mere Sh18 billion.

By MAGESHA NGWIRI
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There are many reasons why civic leaders offered themselves for election in the past but surely, none of these can best be described as selfless service to the people.

Indeed, few politicians in Kenya run for public office for altruistic reasons.

If these people, after they attain their goals, are on a monthly salary, then they ought to save money every month for when they will retire like everyone else.

If they are on sitting allowances, they ought to do the same thing, either individually or through the many pension schemes available.
It is, therefore, surprising that 12,000 former councillors want the government to pay them Sh18 billion at a go and then Sh30,000 each per month so that they can lead respectable lives. On what basis should the taxpayer subsidise the lifestyles of public servants after they leave office?
At first, when I read the list of their demands, I guffawed. Aren’t these the same people who had become such jokers that when they met, they too often ended up hurling chairs at one another?

LIFE OF DIGNITY

But this is Kenya. They could actually get the money for such things, without rhyme or reason, as it happens nowadays. This realisation was brought home by the unequivocal endorsement of the demands received from the Senate on Wednesday.

Considering that senators take home Sh1.3 million every month, they obviously cannot see why the fuss about a mere Sh18 billion.

Now, I don’t want to go down as an incorrigible misanthrope, and ordinarily, I too would not begrudge these poor souls a reasonable living.

Everyone is entitled to a life of dignity after retirement, and nobody should have to worry about what his family will eat for supper.

But three things have conspired to check my enthusiasm for this would-be humanitarian gesture.
First of all, these worthies never really held a day job. They were never expected to report to work every morning, and so they had all the time in the world to make money.

Many did, running businesses, farming, or as brokers. If others chose to spend their time lobbying for favours or plotting how to grab land, they cannot turn round and claim they are entitled to the money because “they worked for the nation”. Really?

VERGE OF INSOLVENCY
Secondly, the ex-councillors must have based their demand figure on something – it can’t have been arbitrary.

Normal employees with pension schemes save according to their monthly pay. So, without a salary, how did the petitioners arrive at this Sh30,000 monthly dole-out?

Third, this is a very insensitive time to start making demands about pensions from a government that for all practical purposes is on the verge of insolvency.

This may sound like an exaggeration, but at a time when it says it cannot pay teachers higher salaries even after a court ruling, couldn’t they have waited a while longer before making their pitch?

It seems the former councillors do not have a legal leg to lean on, and not even legislation by senators should change this fact. But then I am not a lawyer, and in any case, this is Kenya. Anything can happen.

* * * *

TYING KNOTS ON LANGUAGE
When you open any newspaper today, spare a thought for the poor editor charged with making sense out of the gibberish sent in the form of letters.

I know what I am talking about. For 10 years, I edited the Nation’s Letters to the Editor page. The moment I let go, I thought then that things could not get worse. They did.

Last month, I had another go at the page, and believe me, it is a nightmare. Quite simply, Kenyans cannot write in English any more — at least, not letters to the editor.

They can no longer express themselves with any coherence. Therefore, those who wish to know what Kenyans are thinking should realise one thing: Most of the views they read are actually interpretations done by the editor in good faith.

The art of communication has gradually been replaced by the expediency of instant gratification, and the editor is forced to make sense out of utter inanity.

So what has happened in the past two decades? Social media has played havoc with meaningful communication, that’s what.

If you can say something in 140 characters, why bother with complete sentences or even complete words?