Did you know that even after President Uhuru Kenyatta rejected the push by Members of the National Assembly to have their increased pay perks, they are still pushing for it? The lawmakers are now plotting to gang up against President Kenyatta and get their increased perks and allowances.
The servant-leaders can muster a two-thirds majority to override his veto, or memorandum of objections. They say they can even muster a three-quarters super-majority to pass the Bill yet again if necessary. But do you think the president will sign it into law?
On Thursday they delayed passage of Parliamentary Service Bill, 2018 that would expand benefits,a day after Uhuru said he will not sign it. The Bill was supposed to have been passed by yesterday before the MPs’ long Christmas recess.
However, it was not listed as business to be transacted by the House yesterday.
When they finally get their way and pass the controversial Bill, MPs will award themselves enhanced travel allowances, another official vehicle, house allowance and superior medical cover for their wives and extended families.
Furthermore, the requirement for a two-thirds majority to overturn a presidential objection memorandum is expected to give MPs an easy ride in their quest for more privileges.
In the face of public backlash and rebuke from Uhuru, they are determined to defeat his memorandum. Opposition leader Raila Odinga also has objected to the bloated benefits.
The lawmakers yesterday pledged to muster a super-majority to pass the bill a second time, should the head of state reject it.
If passed for the second time with a three-quarters vote, the Bill will automatically become law.
“We shall pass this Bill whether the President likes it or not. MPs have been reduced to beggars without sufficient facilitation,” Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati said.
He added, “MPs must be empowered with proper facilitation from the [Salaries and Remuneration] Commission. The Bill is a good thing for MPs because they will no longer be seeking handouts from State House,” he said.
MPs want their medical cover extended to more than one wife.
The current scheme provides for Sh10 million inpatient cover per family, Sh300,000 for outpatients, Sh150,000 for maternity plus Sh75,000 for dental care.
The cover caters for the MP, one spouse and four children under age 25. But that’s not enough for the servant leaders.
De-linking themselves from the SRC means the PSC chaired by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi can give MPs other allowances and perks at will, without seeking authority from the salaries agency.
Already MPs wants the PSC to set aside a Sh300 million constituency monitoring kitty for them to oversight national development projects in the constituencies.
Senators have a Sh2 billion kitty to monitor and oversee counties.
Analysts have warned that the push for a public participation kitty was a ploy by legislators to award themselves more hefty perks.
MPs are already entitled to mileage reimbursements whenever they travel to their constituencies, depending on the distance.
They are also the patrons of the National Government Constituency Development Fund through which every constituency is allocated at least Sh100 million annually.
Even more disturbing, nominated MPs, who do not represent any elective constituency, claim mileage allowances. They could also end up pocketing the money as MPs push for ‘rationalisation’ of mileage allowances.
After the National Assembly passes the bill, it will be forwarded to the Senate for concurrence before it is sent to the President for assent.
However, MPs have warned that should senators reject it, then they will lock them out of the PSC.
While ironically the same House last week failed to take a vote on the Gender Bill on the two-thirds gender rule for lack of quorum, MPs are likely to troop to the House in February to easily pass the perks Bill.