Lobbies want salaries commission to revoke car money

Tuesday, April 30th 2013 By RAWLINGS OTIENO  and ROSELYNE OBALA
Salaries and Remuneration Commission ( SRC) is under pressure to revoke the hefty tax-free grant of Sh5 million each for the purchase of vehicles by the legislators.
The move has attracted the wrath of civil society who now claim SRC agreed to the blackmail by the MPs in awarding them the tax-free grant.
There is also an on-going negotiation between SRC and legislators to have the latter’s salaries increased from the current Sh 531,000 and Sh 851,000 per month.

National Civil Society Congress (NCSC) President Morris Odhiambo said if MPs desire expensive cars, they should obtain them using their own means, not public resources.
“An ideal trade-off would be for the grants to be changed to loans. We are planning a legal battle over the issue. We will stop at nothing until the MPs realise that we cannot afford their selfishness,” said Odhiambo.
Speaking to The Standard on phone, Odhiambo said SRC is a constitutional body and must conduct itself as such.
“ SRC is an independent commission and should stand firm with their decisions. If this trend is left to continue, then SRC would have failed,” added Odhiambo.
International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) Executive Director Wainaina Ndung’u said Parliament cannot arm-twist the Salaries commission and must stop intimidating the team.
He said the practice world over is for the lawmakers to be given a loan by the Government to buy cars, which they are supposed to repay.
“In developing democracies like Kenya, the Government used to facilitate the loans given to MPs to purchase vehicles and maintain them using their own cash,” said Wainaina.
Sh531,000
Wainaina said the commission went around the country collecting views on MPs pay and later settled for Sh531,000 per month, and MPs cannot purport to have been in the dark about their new pay package.
Kenya ni Kwetu lobby has also planned a peaceful demonstration against Central Organisation Trade Union Secretary General Francis Atwoli’s comments that MPs’ salaries should not be reviewed downwards.
Mr Atwoli is on record suggesting that SRC ought to be sent packing for placing a limit on MPs’ pay package.
The Cotu boss said unless MPs were better remunerated, they would engage in corruption and even steal from the CDF kitty.
“What Atwoli conveniently forgot to mention was that MPs are unique in their status as citizens of this country: they make (and change!) laws including laws that should restrict pay packages for all public servants. The need to put a reasonable ceiling on the salary of every civil servant is critical,” read part of the lobby group’s statement to newsrooms.