MPs and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission are in a deadlock over fresh demands for perks by lawmakers.
A five-hour long Wednesday meeting between the two sides ended with no positive outcomes for the MPs.
Insiders intimated to the Star that MPs expressed their displeasure with the unfair treatment they are being subjected to.
The members lamented being forced to pay duty for car grants to the tune of Sh7.5 million.
Lawmakers also reportedly protested delays in the registration of their Sh35 million mortgage and Sh150,000 housing allowance.
They are also unhappy with SRC’s provision that they limit the engine capacity of their cars to be maintained by taxpayers at 3,000cc.
The MPs also sought the reinstatement of the plenary sitting allowances, saying they are under pressure from their constituents who see them as ‘the local ATMs’.
Lawmakers also fought the reduction of mileage allowance from Sh187 to Sh119 per kilometre.
Some MPs argued the new rate would be costly for their big cars and want the old figure used.
But sources indicated that the SRC was not keen on reversing the contents of the Gazette notice setting the new perks.
The meeting, where members allegedly sought to bulldoze the SRC, resolved that whatever was in the Gazette notice still stands.
“What was agreed was just to have continued consultations between the SRC and Parliament on areas that can be executed administratively,” a source said.
Without any adjustment to the Gazette notice, it was agreed that the MPs and the PSC can work out the demands without deviating from the published perks.
Some of the concerned actors stated that the demands by the MPs can be dealt with within what the salaries team has set.
The SRC reportedly argued at the meeting that the new salaries were arrived at after detailed research, and maintained that the set pay was in order.
It has also emerged that the commission held its stance on the abolition of plenary sitting allowances.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, however, denied the existence of a tiff between MPs and the SRC.
“There is no tiff, there is no tension. And there is no disagreement between the SRC and Parliament,” he told journalists after the meeting.
He said the outcome of the negotiations could not be pronounced through media briefings.
“SRC has indicated they will communicate where there were misapprehensions of facts, reduction of expectations of members and where there were overstated issues,” Wetang'ula said.
He added that the talks explored “a plain way of operating and for members to be in a position to serve Kenyans satisfactorily.”
SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich said it was hard to conclude that there was an agreement, as the meeting focused chiefly on “equity and fairness in pay as pertains to all state officers.”
“Where there were issues that were raised, those will be discussed in the normal manner through the Parliamentary Service Commission,” she said.
“Whenever there are issues to be discussed with any institution of government, any issues are communicated officially,” Mengich said.
“It was important for MPs to understand the mandate of the commission and the principles that SRC uses to determine pay for public officers.”
In July, the SRC abolished plenary allowances and introduced a Sh150,000 house allowance pushing MPs pay upwards to Sh710,000.
The SRC has given MPs and MCAs hefty direct benefits even so, including mortgage, which has been revised upwards to Sh35 million.
The commission also provided a Sh7.5 million car grant and Sh356,525 per month to maintain their high-end cars.
The SRC capped mileage claims at Sh353,778 per month, up from Sh266,663, and raised committee allowances from Sh80,000 per month to Sh120,000.
A new special parliamentary duty allowance would be paid to House leaders — the leader of the Majority, leader of the Minority and Whips from both sides at Sh150,000 per month.
Speakers’ salaries were also increased to Sh1.16 million while those of deputies have been capped at Sh928,000.
The SRC further increased the dental and optical cover for MPs to Sh100,000 from the current Sh75,000, and increased their allocation for airtime.
Edited by A.N
