Governors to meet Salaries body for pay talks

Governors Isaac Ruto and Kenneth Lusaka at a plenary session during the third day of an induction meeting for governors and deputy governors in Naivasha on April 04, 2013. The leaders have demanded that the salaries commission increases their salaries. STEPHEN MUDIARI| Nation 

By JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com and MACHARIA MWANGI Machariamwangi2008@gmail.com

The 47 governors are scheduled to meet the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in Nairobi next Wednesday to seek clarification on issues surrounding their salaries and those of other members of the devolved governments.

The meeting was announced during the closure of the five-day conference of governors, their deputies, Speakers, deputy Speakers and other county workers at the Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha on Friday morning.

Nairobi governor Evans Kidero has offered to host the meeting which will be chaired by Salaries and Remuneration Commission boss Sarah Serem.

The meeting was organised after they refused to listen to a presentation by Daniel Ogutu, the SRC’s vice chairman on Thursday.

The governors had expected Ms Serem to be present at the Naivasha conference on Friday to address their concerns but she was not. Speakers and deputy Speakers had also sought audience with her.

Next week's meeting in Nairobi will also include representatives from the deputy governors and Speakers.

Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya said there have been no proposals on the salaries they want the SRC to approve.

Although some governors have openly expressed discomfort at the amounts set by the SRC, Mr Ruto insisted their concerns are not just about their salaries.

“We’re not talking about salaries for governors or a specific cadre. For now, as we move to start, we don’t know how we’ll be engaging the executive officers.

“We don’t even know about things like per diem. It is impossible to have conferences and meetings without knowing how people will get there,” said Mr Ruto, the governors’ interim chairman.

Eleven governors have been selected to form a liaison committee to co-ordinate their affairs and meetings.

They are: James Ongwae (Kisii), John Mruttu (Taita Taveta), John Ndathi (Kirinyaga), Julius Malombe (Kitui), Ukur Yattani (Isiolo), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Josphat Nanok (Turkana), Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Nadhif Jama (Garissa) and Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma).

This team will organise for the fixing of the date on which the election of the chairman of the Council of Governors would take place. It will also organise for the Summit with the President and Deputy President once sworn in.

Mr Ruto said the governors would remain committed to devolution. “We as governors have resolved that we will remain true to the spirit, intention, letter and everything else about devolution,” he said.

He said there is “no intention to succumb to the culture of fear and conspiracy of silence.” The governors plan to have the county assemblies across the country start meeting on the same day.

Issues to do with money have dominated proceedings at Naivasha and Nairobi County Speaker Alex ole Magelo said on the last day that representatives from the capital city are bracing themselves for fight with the SRC over their pay package.

Mr Magelo accused the SRC of being insincere or “either blind or treating county representatives as messengers...we are asking for an immediate review of the salaries.”

He said a wide disparity exists between the salary of state officers in the national government and those in the county government which are not councils but a second tire of government with constitutional executive and legislative mandate.

“Whereas the speaker of parliament earn 80 per cent of the salary of the president, the speakers of county assembly earns 35 per cent of the salary of the governor, yet they are the constitutional heads of their respective arms of the government, ”said the Nairobi County Assembly speaker.

He said members of the independent constitutional commissions, the executive, MPs and Governors received a superior cover of Sh 10 million per annum with the deputy governor getting a cover of Sh 5 million per annum, the speaker and county assembly members were only entitled to Sh 1 million per annum

Mr Magelo called on the formation of an association called the conference of 47 speakers’ assemblies of Kenya and this association be registered immediately and an election held in this forum for interim officials.

The conference to appoint ten or so members tasked with the sole mandate of engaging the he SRC and demands an audience with the commission within a week’s time.

He said the commission would also prepare a memorandum articulating the plight of members of the county assembly which will be forwarded to the SRC and a copy sent to the speaker of the senate and all the senators of the counties demanding for an immediate action.

Mr Magelo warned that the members of the county (MCS) assembly might consider abstaining from collecting their salaries unless their issues were resolved
.