Raila, Kalonzo have to quit politics to get send-off perks

Kalonzo Musyoka and former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende will have to quit elective politics to get their retirement perks. This is according to new proposals awaiting debate in the National Assembly. The final version of the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Bill 2013 has also dropped the Chief Justice and his deputy, the Attorney General, the Chief of Defence Forces, plus the deputy Speakers of the Senate and the National Assembly from the list of “designated” State officers. That means, when the officers who have been dropped from the list retire, they will have to depend on their contributions to their respective retirement schemes, unless the Salaries and Remuneration Commission works out their package. But for Raila, Kalonzo and Marende they will get their pension - 80 per cent of what they earned while in office plus the full amount they put in any pension scheme during their tenure in office.

In their retirement, they will be obligated to run errands for the President, the Bill noted. The MPs also have the power to decide who gets paid the perks, but such a resolution has to be approved by 175 lawmakers in the 349-member Parliament. It can only arise if the MPs believe that the retiree does not deserve the perks because they left office for having violated the Constitution or if “guilty of gross misconduct”. To be on the safe side of the retirement politics, the Bill has a clause that if any of the politicians decide to continue in elective politics, then, their pay will be deducted from the retirement perks. They will get whatever remains after such a deduction.

 Official funeral

When the Deputy President William Ruto retires, he will get similar perks as those that Kalonzo will be getting. CORD MP John Mbadi (Suba) is the author of the Bill. The Bill proposes diplomatic passports, multiple cars, fully-equipped offices, domestic workers and armed security guards for the retirees. It also says that their spouses will carry diplomatic passports and enjoy VIP access to all airports in the country. The cars provided to the retirees will be fuelled and maintained by the taxpayer. The retirees will also have at least two drivers. The Bill has also sought to have cleaners, cooks, gardeners, drivers, accountants, personal assistants, housekeepers and secretaries. When the retired State officials die, they will be given an official funeral. There’s also a clause that will require all the retirees to tell the Cabinet Secretary of the National Treasury what their budget for the year will be at least five months before the beginning of the financial year. Once approved, the money shall be charged to the Consolidated Fund.

 - Stories by Alphonce Shiundu and Roselyne Obala