Parliament to spend Sh1.6 billion on rent and staff for MPs

POLITICS AND POLICY

Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro (centre) and new members of the House Beth Mugo and Danson Mwazo at an induction workshop at the Lake Naivasha Simba lodge on April 19, 2013. FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI

Posted  Sunday, April 21  2013 at  18:08

IN SUMMARY

• The rental costs will accrue at the constituency level for MPs and the county headquarters for Senators and Women Reps.
• Parliament has also given elected officials who do not secure office space within the National Assembly premises the go-ahead to identify office space for renting in Nairobi.
• The regulations came into operation on March 28, 2013 but were published on Friday.

Parliament will spend Sh1.6 billion to employ staff and rent office space for members in both Houses. The rental costs will accrue at the constituency level for MPs and the county headquarters for Senators and Women Reps.

Parliament has also given elected officials who do not secure office space within the National Assembly premises the go-ahead to identify office space for renting in Nairobi for an amount not exceeding Sh50, 000.

The expanded bicameral Parliament with a total of 418 Members has exerted pressure on facilities, leaving a number of lawmakers without offices.

Justin Muturi, Speaker of the National Assembly, who doubles as chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), gave the authority for the Nairobi offices through a notice in the Kenya Gazette.

Officials who will not secure office space within the main Parliament Building and the seven-storey Continental House must have the alternative space inspected by the House Clerk or his Senate counterpart.

(Read: President opens House as MPs jostle for offices)

“Where the Clerk certifies that an office is not available for an MP within the precincts of Parliament, the Clerk shall authorise the Member of Parliament to identify for leasing an office within the County of Nairobi for temporary use by the Member until such time as an office is availed within the precincts of Parliament,” said Mr Muturi in the Parliamentary Service (Offices of Members of Parliament) Regulations, 2013.

The regulations came into operation on March 28, 2013 but were published on Friday.

The Business Daily learnt that the PSC has allocated each of the 290 elected MPs, 47 Women Reps and the 47 elected county Senators an annual budget of Sh4.1 million each to run offices in their respective constituencies and counties.

A confidential brief setting out how the 384 elected women representatives, MPs and Senators will be accommodated outside their Nairobi workstations sets the monthly rent allocation for offices in cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu at Sh42,000 and Sh35,000 for other areas.

The brief however does not state what happens to nominated MPs and Senators who number 34. There are 20 nominated Senators and 12 nominated MPs.

These officials were not given office accommodation in the constituencies during the previous parliaments. The brief stipulates stringent restrictions for renting the offices.

“A Member of Parliament shall not be entitled to use leased office premises under these regulations if an office has been made available for the use of the Member within the precincts of Parliament,” it states.

The lawmakers have been barred from leasing office space in buildings that they own or those owned by their relatives.

“Renting offices shall not be permitted where the proposed office is in a building where the Member has a direct financial interest or in a member’s home.”However, those who were re-elected have been allowed to retain the previous rented offices. The legislators are required to obtain inspection reports from the ministries of public works, lands and health to verify if it is habitable, structurally sound and assess value of the office through a qualified property valuer.

On the Sh4.1 million annual budget for each Member, the legislators will be required to forward to PSC the budget estimates for the purchase of office furniture, equipment, consumables and personnel emoluments for staff of the constituency or county offices by the end of March of every financial year.

“The budget allocation had been set by the Commission as follows—purchase of furniture (senator county/women county rep and new constituencies offices) — Sh160,000 at the start of the term of Parliament,” the brief stated.

Re-elected MPs or senators are to retain bank accounts which they opened during the 10th Parliament while new ones will be required to open one with “reputable commercial bank at nearest location from their local offices.”

The elected lawmakers have been given the power to hire, discipline or fire staff who will be paid through the PSC. Nominated ones will be required to hire three staff—personal assistant, driver and secretary — earning a combined maximum of Sh97,500 monthly.

According to the confidential brief, a personal assistant and an office manager hired by elected lawmakers at the constituency, senate or county representative offices will earn a monthly wage of Sh40,000.

Deputy constituency or senate or women rep office managers will take home Sh30,000 while office secretary and two office security guards earn a minimum wage as per the labour laws.

The office managers at the local level have also been given a limit for operating expenses such as bank charges, office tea, sodas or lunches, water, airtime among, newspapers and transport expenses.

emutai@ke.nationmedia.co
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