Serve first before seeking perks, Uhuru tells leaders

By Onesmus Nzioka and Daniel Nzia
Kenya: The clamour for higher pay by elected leaders appeared headed for the rocks after President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed their demands.
Uhuru regretted that MPs, governors and members of County Assemblies were agitating for better pay at the expense of service delivery to wananchi.
“You should stop looking for money to put in your pockets and concentrate on serving Kenyans,” said the President.

President Uhuru said leaders should focus on delivering service to Kenyans with a view to improving their living standards instead of pursuing personal interests.
The Head of State was speaking at Kikima Secondary School during the requiem service for Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo.
The ceremony was attended by high profile leaders including retired President Mwai Kibaki, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Attorney General Githu Muigai, Musalia Mudavadi, area MP Kisoi Munyao, governors Kivutha Kibwana, Evans Kidero, Alfred Mutua and Speaker of the Senate Ekwe Ethuro.
Uhuru’s sentiments come in the wake of a renewed wave by elected leaders to demand better pay after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) recommended slashing of their salaries.
MPs and county ward representatives have in the recent past upped their push for better pay, arguing the salary allocated to them was inadequate. In some counties, ward leaders have boycotted House sittings protesting what they termed low pay.
MPs are supposed to earn Sh532,000 while the ward representatives are entitled to about Sh79,000.
In Makueni and other counties the ward representatives adjourned their sittings indefinitely on Wednesday night, arguing they could not continue performing public duty when they are not paid well.
They claimed since assuming office in early March, no single cent has been paid to them while they were incurring expenditures running into hundreds of thousands.
The latest clamour for more pay kicked off last week after MPs yesterday unanimously declared they would disband the SRC through a petition tabled in the House by Mithika Linturi.
Violate constitution
The Igembe South MP had claimed that apart from denying them what was constitutionally theirs, the commission had not acted fairly in deciding to reduce MPs’ salaries.
Linturi also suggested that the President forms a tribunal to investigate the “gross violations” of the Constitution by the Sarah Serem led commission.
He drew a petition that was to be handed to the Committee on Delegated Legislation, which was to decide whether the commission violated the Constitution when it gazetted the new salary structures for State officers.
Many Kenyans have since condemned the move by the MPs from both sides of the coalition after they all ganged up and supported the Linturi sponsored Motion.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has strongly condemned a move by Parliament to impeach the SRC.
LSK Chairman Eric Mutua said Parliament has no Constitutional mandate to disband the SRC.
The LSK chairman called on the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi to determine whether debating the Motion was constitutional.
“SRC is a constitutional body and can only be dissolved following a referendum,” Mr Mutua said.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Deputy Majority Leader Naomi Shaban also backed MPs’ demands for higher salaries, sparking public outrage and prompting civil society to lead protests at Parliament buildings.
They also vent their anger at Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli for his public support for the MPs demands.