Members of the county assemblies (MCAs) now want a forum with President William Ruto in a renewed push to have their salaries increased.
Through the County Assemblies Forum (CAF), they have argued this would provide a better platform for them to discuss their remuneration among other issues of concern.
“We want these issues addressed now, we are suffering. The pay we are getting cannot sustain us. What we are getting is not commensurate with the work do and that is why we are yearning for this meeting,” Kericho deputy speaker Eric Bett told the Star.
He added, “Apart from the oversight, legislation and representation we are with the electorates all the time. As MCAs we are not like the MPs who get heft pay yet they rarely go to the grassroots”.
The scrapping of the plenary allowances by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), he said, “added salt to the wound”.
Initially, the MCAs used to earn Sh3,900 per sitting meaning out of the four sittings per week, the members get a total of with a total of Sh62,400 monthly.
Mid last year, the Commission in a Gazette notice abolished the plenary sittings saying it hopes to save close to Sh1.5 billion.
“We resolved that the MPs, Speakers, and CECs salaries be upgraded, while the plenary sitting allowance in the parliament and county assemblies be abolished," SRC chair Lyn Mengich stated.
The remark by the MCA comes in the wake of similar sentiments by the Vihiga county assembly through Speaker Chris Omulele who also doubles up as a member of CAF.
He said the pay structure for the ward reps as it is currently is poor and they need to have a discussion with the national leaders with a view to addressing this.
“The MCAs are suffering, we must have this discussion,” said Omulele.
As per the SRC, MCAs take home Sh144, 376 monthly salaries, Sh3 million in inpatient cover, Sh200,000 (outpatient), Sh100,000 (maternity) and Sh50,000 each for dental and optical cover.
Governors on their part get a monthly gross salary of Sh924,000, which includes a basic pay of Sh554,400 and a house allowance of Sh200,000.
They also have Sh10 million for inpatient medical cover, Sh300,000 for outpatient, Sh150,000 for maternity and Sh75,000 each for dental and optical cover.
In addition, they have access to Sh10 million car loan and up to Sh40 million mortgage.
“There is a problem that needs to be corrected with regard to the salaries of MCAs. SRC continues to take a hard position on this issue yet statistical evidence indicates that MCAs are deeply disadvantaged,” CAF chair Philemon Sabulei said in a past interview with local media.
