Taxpayers bank on the President to starve MPs’ greed

Saturday, May 11th 2013
By Stephen Makabila 
Nairobi, Kenya: The public mood is against salary increment demands by MPs and other elected leaders, but what are the options of stopping ‘MPs greed’?
Members of National Assembly have argued they were demanding more because of a dependant public (their electorates that look up to them for assistance in funerals, school fees, during tragedies and developmental needs).
Majority Leader in the National Assembly, Aden Duale told members, “The citizenry must come to reality that they elected 349 men and women. If they are thieves it is Kenyans. If they are greedy, it’s the Kenyan voter who is greedy.”

In newspaper columns, opinion pages, mail-box, FM stations call-in sessions, the social media and even ordinary chats across urban and rural areas, its however, clear the public is against MPs pay hike demand.
The President of the East African Law Society (EALS) James Mwamu, feels the public’s hope falls on President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has already stated the need to curb on increased wage bill which he said was unsustainable.
“The Motion to disband the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) filed by Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi can pass in Parliament, but President Uhuru should read the public mood and refuse to sign it. That way the SRC will remain intact,” said Mwamu who is also a council member of the Law Society of Kenya.
 Frustrate Motion
Mars Group Chief Executive Officer Mwalimu Mati says the public has the capacity to contain MPs demands through the new Constitution.
“The best way to contain the MPs is to use a public petition, with a minimum of 20 signatures to a maximum of millions tabled in Parliament by a willing MP. Demonstrations do not worry the MPs because they know demos do not change the law,” says Mr Mati.
He says civic society groups have to pursue more legitimate methods instead of demos and twitting. “We also have to amend the law of recall on MPs to be immediate, and not after two years. Recall is the only language MPs can understand,” he added.
Institute of Polity and Policy, Executive Director Charles Otieno, says the public has to stand its ground because any further increase in wage bill was unsustainable.
“What the public should demand is serious salary reforms in the entire public sector to keep the rising wage bill under check,” added Dr Otieno.
National Co-ordinator of the National Taxpayers Association, Martin Napisa, says the only way is for the president to protect overburdened taxpayers from MPs greed.
Civil Society activist Mr Okiya Omtatah recently went to court, and argued MPs do not have legal powers to determine their pay, terming such a move unconstitutional.
And in what could be a blessing to the public, Molo MP Jacob Macharia   has for example indicated like-minded MPs were lobbying to frustrate the Linturi motion. Macharia said about 50 MPs had distanced themselves from the petition and were in the process of lobbying for more support.