The Senate has sought an explanation from the National Treasury as to why 12,000 former councillors who served from 1963 have yet to receive a Sh18 billion sendoff package.
Deputy Speaker Margaret Kamar has directed the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to get the explanation from the ministry and report to the House.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani was to advise Parliament of how the payments to the former councillors would be done.
“I think all members have been approached by the former councillors wherever you come from. This has been a painful part of their life. We need to resolve this so that they can retire peacefully like everybody else,” she said.
She added: “In bringing the report, they should include what was earlier resolved so that we get this thing out of the way.”
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua had said that he requested a statement from the committee months ago but nothing had been forthcoming.
Wambua said the former councillors are now personally approaching the government directly to plead for their case.
“I rise on this issue because as the Senate, we will miss out on an opportunity to demonstrate duty of care for leaders,” he stated.
He added that he was of the impression that the best way of dealing with the matter was for the committee to visit selected regions to meet the former councillors and get a direct feel of the suffering they have been exposed to.
“This is not the way we want to treat our leaders. Tomorrow, some of us will be out of leadership. We do not want to be treated in the manner that the former councillors are being treated in this republic,” he said.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said the former councillors should not be left at the mercy of the Executive.
“All of us in leadership might not be here next time. It is important for our welfare and that of former leaders to be looked into. It is not because we want to overburden public funds but to ensure their welfare is taken care of because they have served this country,” he said.
In 2016, the Senate Labour and Social Welfare committee recommended that the leaders be paid.
In February, Wambua reignited the debate on the floor of the House when he sought a statement on the implementation of the resolution of the House to compensate the former civic leaders.
The House had in 2018 unanimously approved a motion sponsored by Laikipia Senator John Kinyua to give the former councillors sendoff perks
In the motion, the former ward legislators were to receive a Sh1.5 million one-off payment and Sh30,000 monthly pension.
(edited by o. owino)
