Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) are now pushing for fresh demands that will make them dine with kings.
Tired of using cheap vehicles and matatus,now MCAs want to be given the privilege of riding high end luxury cars. All this is expected to come from mwananchi’s pocket who a large number of them live on less than a dollar daily.
If they have their way on the Sh5 million car grant demand, the 2,224 MCAs (1,450 elected and 774 nominated), will cumulatively cost the taxpayer Sh11.12 billion.
Besides a car grant, the MCAs are demanding enhanced travel, mileage and housing allowances, mortgages and a development kitty similar to the National Government Constituency Development Fund to finance projects.
The MCAs’ demands come against the backdrop of economic strain and biting hunger caused by prolonged drought in many parts of the country.
Yesterday, Leader of Majority in the Senate Kipchumba Murkomen and his Minority counterpart James Orengo backed the MCAs’ demands.
MCAs also said they want financial autonomy similar to the one enjoyed by MPs and Senators under the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).
They are proposing that they control their own budgets, instead of the money being channeled through the county government.
Orengo said MCAs should enjoy all privileges that are available to Members of the National Assembly and Senators.I
“For the MCAs to do their work effectively, there should be some framework to determine what they need to execute their mandate,” said Orengo, who is the Siaya Senator.
Murkomen promised to rally his colleagues in the Senate to amend the Public Finance Management Act to permit county assemblies to have financial autonomy.
“The National Treasury should not be an imperial power that controls resources distributed to County governments and county assemblies,” he said.