More than 30 former civic leaders from Kisumu have appealed to President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga to intervene in their stalled pension claims.
They expressed frustration after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi dismissed a proposed one-off payment of Sh200,000 to each of them.
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Some of the ex-councilors from Kisumu county have appealed to President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga to intervene in their stalled pension claims.
More than 30 former civic leaders from Kisumu have appealed
to President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga to intervene in
their bid to get pension.
They expressed frustration after Treasury CS John Mbadi
dismissed a proposed one-off payment of Sh200,000 to each of them.
The ex-councilors, led by their caucus chairperson Obera
Wamba, said on Wednesday that they have been left with no choice but to seek help
from the country’s top political leaders.
They said they supported the idea of a broad-based
government and as former councilors, they now need help to get the money.
“President Ruto has the authority to push for the alignment
of the payout within the law, and we are urging both leaders to act together to
ensure we get it,” he said.
Obera said the co-principals should put their heads together
and find a way to help them.
“Some of our members are living in abject poverty,” he
added.
CS Mbadi, while appearing before the Senate Committee on
Labour and Social Welfare, said the payout had no legal foundation, citing a
2023 advisory from the Attorney General which found that the ex-councilors’
service did not qualify for pension or gratuity.
Instead, he suggested they be considered under the Inua
Jamii programme, which provides Sh2,000 monthly to vulnerable citizens.
The group, however, rejected the proposal, terming it
demeaning to their past service.
They said as councilors, they safeguarded public assets now
being utilised under devolution.
“The government had previously shown willingness to pay and
we will not stop reminding them of this obligation,” Obera said.
The former leaders criticised MPs for failing to enact laws
that could cushion them, while expressing hope that the Senate would continue
to pursue the matter. “Mbadi should not hide behind the law.”
“During President
Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure, this payout was almost finalised. What law did the
Senate use then to pass our payments? Why is Mbadi now a stumbling block?”
Obera asked.
The ex-councilors vowed to intensify their lobbying efforts,
mobilising support from both current and former elected officials until what
they term as a long-overdue compensation is addressed.
