NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 23 – Members of Parliament will soon be able to negotiate for their salary review if President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nominees for the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) are endorsed by Parliament.
Nominee for the Chairperson post Lyn Cherop Mengich says if approved she will have an open-door policy that will allow MPs an opportunity to defend their clamour for a higher pay.
Appearing before the National Assembly Finance and Planning Committee on Wednesday during her approval hearing, Mengich told members of the Joseph Limo led committee (Kipkelion East) that if they feel they were not properly evaluated by the former team led by Saram Serem, she would be ready to address their concerns.
The seasoned Human Resource professional said she would interrogate the issue of a bloated workforce in the public sector in a bid to reduce the wage bill.
“The perception whether MPs are highly paid is neither here nor there but from where I sit I am ready and willing to listen to individuals who are aggrieved and have meaningful discussions about it,” Mengich said.
Member nominee and former Cabinet Minister Dalmas Otieno said it was necessary for the MPs salary perks to be reviewed and assured if approved he would make it his priority to have the package expanded.
He argued that MPs have a lot of responsibility besides performing their legislative function.
“MPs here in Kenya cannot be compared with their colleagues in the UK or Europe in terms of their remuneration. The representative role of Kenyan MPs is more burdening, and it is very important that their slary is reviewed.
“What MPs get nowadays is taxed so highly leaving them to remain with so little hence straining their mandate while performing duties,” he said.
If approved, Mengich will succeed Serem who has since been posted to China as the Kenyan ambassador.
Her nomination was prompted by the rejection of former Kenya boss Ben Chumo who was dismissed by MPs over graft allegations.