Opposition leader Raila Odinga has criticised Members of Parliament (MPs) for being selfish in terms of employing Kenyans after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi defended them.
Speaking during the National Anti-corruption Conference in Bomas, Raila said, Parliament gets two per cent of the total revenue and only employs 1,000 people yet the Judiciary employs about 7,000 people and gets 0.5 per cent. This is Sh35 billion against Sh15 billion of the national allocation.
Adding that,they also want exclusive rights to set their salaries.
“And they are saying, they are not adding themselves money. They are adding themselves money for sitting allowance,” he said.
“Mr Speaker is being economical with facts. Didn’t they (MPs) say they don’t want to recognise the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), saying Parliament as an independent institution has the right to set salaries the way they like?” Raila posed.
Muturi, who also chairs the Parliamentary Service Commission, committed to ensure that the MPs remuneration is strictly set by SRC.“It is not possible and won’t be possible under my watch for MPs to introduce legislative proposals to increase their salaries. This function exclusively belongs to the SRC,” he said.
He added: “The Bill before the House has no reference to any proposal to increase the salaries. I will decline to approve any legislation to increase salaries. I have the power to reject upfront.
”The Bill has caused public uproar especially after High Court judge George Odunga quashed SRC’s gazette notice slashing the MPs pay.The MPs have argued that the proposed legislation is meant to align operations of the bicameral House and introduce performance contracting for staff.
Raila didn’t not spare the county governments, especially the Members of the County Assemblies and governors, faultingthem for spending 70 per cent of their budget on recurrent expenditure.
“The money is for sitting allowances, resulting in regular fights over committees placement. Others lobby for overseas trips, bench-marking and bonding,” he said.