House signals payout for MPs who lost polls

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By JOHN NGIRACHU

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Summary

• Members of the 11th Parliament — emerging from bruising and expensive campaigns — have been pushing for speedy payment of the cash, which had been delayed by the impasse over the committees.
• Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu Wednesday asked Speaker Justin Muturi to intervene on the committee deadlock, arguing that the former legislators were suffering in the three months they have gone without pay.
• The parliamentary Pensions Management Committee, which is in charge of the MPs retirement scheme, lapsed on August 7, the last day of the tenure of the 11th Parliament.

The appointment of three MPs to a key parliamentary committee has opened the way for the 267 who lost their seats in the August 8 General Election to be paid their delayed pension.

Majority Leader Aden Duale told MPs he would move a Motion on the appointment of three members to the Pension Management Committee — which approves payment of retirement benefits to MPs who have lost their seats.

Members of the 11th Parliament — emerging from bruising and expensive campaigns — have been pushing for speedy payment of the cash, which had been delayed by the impasse over the committees.

MPs Dan Wanyama (Webuye West, Jubilee), Rehema Jaldesa (Isiolo Woman Rep, Jubilee) and Andrew Mwadime (Mwatate, ODM) have been selected to join the pensions committee and their colleagues will this morning be asked to endorse them.

Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu Wednesday asked Speaker Justin Muturi to intervene on the committee deadlock, arguing that the former legislators were suffering in the three months they have gone without pay.

The parliamentary Pensions Management Committee, which is in charge of the MPs retirement scheme, lapsed on August 7, the last day of the tenure of the 11th Parliament.

READ: One-term MPs to leave with Sh18.8m in pension payoff

Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) says 196 one-term MPs who lost seats in the August 8 poll will choose between the Sh6.7 million gratuity and a refund of their pension contributions made over the 52 months they were in the House.

The former MPs are expected to go for the refund of their pension rather than the gratuity because the contributions are expected to cross the Sh10 million mark.

The refund is equivalent to the amount contributed at an annual interest of 15 per cent for every year served.

The 79 MPs who failed to retain their seats and had served for two terms will be offered a lifelong pension of Sh125,000 per month and miss out on the gratuity.

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The Treasury had set aside Sh2.8 billion as gratuity cash guaranteeing each MP Sh6.7 million at the end of their term. But some members of the 10th Parliament, whose term ended in early 2013, managed to walk away with both pension and the gratuity cash — which was previously offered to all MPs who failed to secure their seats.

Its other members are the Speaker as the chairman, the Attorney General, the Treasury Principal Secretary, the Treasury accounts controller and the clerk of the National Assembly who shall be the secretary.