MPs push to burden taxpayers more, reject Uhuru memo on ex-legislators' pension

A House committee has rejected President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reservations on paying their retired counterparts Sh100,000 monthly lifetime pension.

The Finance Committee of the National Assembly on Thursday said the president in his refusal to sign off the perks failed to consider key issues.

The team led by Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga said the President failed to consider that the former MPs cannot sustain themselves with the pension they are currently earning.

The committee cited inflation and high cost of living in the country, saying the situation has made it impossible for the former MPs to survive on what they earn.

MPs also said the President failed to acknowledge the difficulties that former MPs go through after their service in terms of getting jobs.

In declining to assent to the Bill on September 10, the President said the pension would not be sustainable and was likely to open floodgates of demands by other former public servants.

The National Treasury had last month warned that increasing retired MPs' pension to Sh100,000 would not be sustainable for the country’s already strained budget.

Former Leader of Majority Aden Duale fired the first warning shot that the House could be legislating the Bill in vain considering the Treasury’s adverse opinion.

  He argued that by the advisory, and from his experience, the Bill has a high likelihood of flopping at the assent stage.

“Once the vellum has been prepared, consultation takes place between the Attorney General and the concerned ministry.

“If at this stage they are given an adverse opinion there is a high likelihood that they will give a more adverse opinion to the President when it comes to signing of this Bill,” the Garissa Township MP said.

The legislation sponsored by Minority Leader John Mbadi sought to award pension payout to members who served between 1984 and 2001.