Two former Speakers of Parliament and a retired Chief Justice are locked in a standoff with Treasury officials over their demands for lavish retirement perks that include a bullet-proof fuel guzzler, backdated retirement benefits and shift to a higher pension pay scale.

Former National Assembly Speaker Francis ole Kaparo has demanded, among his other generous pension benefits, an armoured four-wheel drive 3000 cc engine vehicle bought and fuelled by taxpayers. Former Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro and retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga are also demanding additional millions in retirement benefits, arguing that the Treasury used wrong figures to calculate their exit packages and monthly pension payments.

After leaving office, Dr Mutunga publicly declared that he was worth Sh80 million. He added that he earned a net salary of Sh50 million in the five years that he served as CJ.

If implemented, the higher pay scale will offer Mr Ethuro and Dr Mutunga Sh1.6 million in monthly pension, lump sum payoffs of Sh24 million each and monthly fuel allowances of Sh300,000 each.

However, the Treasury says pension payouts are guided by the SRC pay scales that offer the former CJ an estimated monthly pension of Sh637,386, a lump sum payout of Sh15.9 million and monthly fuel allowance of Sh199,183. Similarly Mr Ethuro is entitled to a monthly pension of Sh554,400, a lump sum send-off of Sh13.8 million and monthly fuel allowance of Sh173,250.

If the Treasury yields to their demands, Mr Ethuro and Dr Mutunga’s monthly take home will surpass President Uhuru Kenyatta’s official salary of Sh1.4 million. It also puts the benefits of the two higher than the salary and benefits of top chief executives of State corporations listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange such as Kenya Power and KenGen.