PSC Approves Lawmakers’ Extortionist Share in Office Expenditure

By Virginia Nyambura

The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has presented Members of Parliament (MPs) with an extortionate share to cater for their operations in Nairobi offices and at the constituency and county offices.

The commission approved an additional 50 percent operation expense and a 10 percent share for adjustment on county and constituency office salaries for the 2018/19 financial year which is set to be affected starting July 30.

The operation costs for staffs working for MPs has now ascended by 158, 086 shillings while for staffs working for Women Representatives and Senator’s moving up by 62, 985 shillings.

The current monthly expenditure on salary has risen by 10 percent from 629, 850 shillings to 692, 835 shillings, a 10 percent pay rise, while the operational costs, on the other hand, will amount to 474,258 shillings from 316,172 shillings, 50 percent raise, bringing the monthly transfers for operation costs and staff salaries alone to a whopping 946,022 shillings.

The Commission normally transfers the money to the operations accounts of the respective Senator’s, MPs and women Representatives at the end of every four months, the accounts are hence expected to have 4.7 million shillings to cover the four months’ staff salaries and operating costs.

Kenyan lawmakers have been well known for their deep pockets despite Kenyans protesting. MPs alone, take home 15.7 billion shillings annually.

They have the luxury to hire and fire their staff and according to the Commission’s salary program for MPs staff, a Personal Assistant takes home a monthly salary of 65, 000 shillings with an office assistant receiving 20, 000 shillings.

The PSC had tabled a 42.55-billion-shilling budget to cover for operations and salaries of staff working for MPs in the year starting July but the Treasury cut the budget to 38.6 billion shillings as is in the Appropriations Act signed on June 29 by President Kenyatta allocating 36.8 billion shillings to Parliament for expenditure in the current financial year.