- Move likely to complicate budget matters with the assembly only allocated Sh1.06 billion, out of which Sh624 million was meant for salaries and the rest for operations
Image: FILE
Kakamega MCAs have passed a motion awarding themselves Sh45,000 monthly house allowance.
The motion was moved by Majority chief whip Dickson Ombayo and seconded by his deputy Gladys Omukongolo on Wednesday.
The ward representatives want the allowances backdated to October last year.
The motion was unanimously passed.
MCAs told the county assembly service board to immediately start paying the allowances failing which they will dissolve it.
The MCAs said their move was justified following a High Court ruling of October 5, 2018 that said all public officers were entitled to house allowances.
MPs have already awared themselves Sh250,000 monthly allowance following the ruling.
Kakamega has 91 MCAs. If each is paid Sh43,000, then the assembly board will spent over Sh4 million is their house allowances.
The figure was arrived at at the ward representatives said their allowances be 30 per cent of their basic salary. MCAs are paid Sh144,000 in basic salary.
Ombayo said the MCAs were already discriminated by the failure of the assembly to implement the court ruling, nine months after it was delivered.
The court ruled that denying some public officers similar benefits enjoyed by other state officers was discriminatory, unjustifiably, selective and contrary to Article 27 of the Constitution.
The governing council of the county assemblies’ forum has resolved that nonpayment of housing allowance for ward representatives was a fundamental breach of their rights.
Ombayo accused the county assembly for failing to pay MCAs their allowances even after county assemblies’ forum had directed the immediate implementation of the court ruling.
In June, the MCAs threatened to shoot down the assembly budget unless their house allowances were factored in at Sh60,000 each per month. They, however, reneged on the threat and passed Kakamega's Sh14 billion budget.
The motion passed by the ward reps will most likely complicate the assembly budget as the house allowance was not factored into the 2019-20 budget.
The assembly was allocated Sh1.06 billion, out of which Sh624 million was meant for salaries and the rest for operations.
edited by peter obuya