Human rights lobby Haki Africa has given SRC 14 days to nullify new house allowances to be pocketed by MPs or they will hold demos.
Addressing the media in Mombasa on Tuesday, Haki Africa CEO Hussein Khalid said that the move by the MPs is unconstitutional and illegal.
He said that the government did not increase minimum wage for the employees during the Labour Day celebrations due to economic constrains, but parliamentarians have still gone ahead to seek hefty allowances.
“Due to huge debts and increased cost of living, Kenyans were told to tie-up their belts and support austerity measures to support development agenda. Parliamentarians opted not to care, and instead awarded themselves hefty allowances at the expense of economy,” Hussein Khalid said.
This is after the MPs awarded themselves the backdated allowance in the April pay, as each of the 416 MPs received Sh2.25 million over and above their monthly pay.
The lobby group has termed legislatures move as illegal act, calling upon anti graft agencies to investigate individuals behind it and prosecute them.
“We demand that the SRC immediately rescind this illegal allocation and demand total refund. We further call on the EACC, DCI and the ODPP to investigate those behind this illegal allocation and ensure they face full wrath of the law,”
The group has further called upon Kenyans to rise up and stop MPs from hefty allowances.
Their stand comes barely a day after COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli defended MPs push for more pay, saying they deserve it.
But SRC boss Lyn Mengich yesterday told the Star that the Commission is still in the process of confirming if the allowances have indeed been paid before swinging into action.
She said that the commission will do everything to ensure the allowance does not breach the law.
Mengich said that the commission is opposed to the allocation, claiming that the commission which is constitutionally mandated to fix salaries of state officers did not approve of the MPs’ new perks.
MPs are already entitled to Sh20 million mortgage charged at three per cent.
