SRC rejects legislators’ Sh382.2million on sitting allowance

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC ) has dealt a blow to Members of Parliament after it rejected Sh382.2 million set aside for their sitting allowance.

The decision by the commission to get rid of the legislator’s sitting allowances was communicated to the members during a Speaker’s informal sitting of MPs on Wednesday.

This means that the Sh710,000 taxable salaries paid to the 416 MPs monthly still remains.

As a result of the undertakings, the government will save at least Sh382.2million in plenary sitting allowances for the legislators.

However, the lawmakers will get an enhanced taxable car grant of Sh10 million every five years translating to Sh7.55 million to buy a car with an engine capacity of not above 3000cc.

The committee sitting allowance has also been retained. Currently, a committee chairperson gets Sh15,000 per sitting before tax, vice-chairperson gets Sh10,000 while a member gets Sh8,000.

The lawmakers will also enjoy a mileage allowance and a fixed car maintenance allowance paid at the rate of Sh356,525 a month.

The mileage allowance is calculated based on the AA rates and the distance from Parliament Buildings.

MPs are required to produce a copy of the log book for the car they will use to travel to the county or constituency and a letter from the Ministry of Transport confirming the distances from Parliament Buildings to the home of the said legislator.

Lawmakers are also entitled to a medical scheme of Sh10million inpatient cover per family, Sh300,000 for outpatient cover, Sh150,000 for maternity and Sh75,000 for dental care.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi accused the SRC of treating the MPs unfairly.

Muturi argued that while the Constitution categorises MPs as state officers just like Cabinet secretaries and judges, they have always received the short end of the bigger chunk.

The National Assembly has 349 MPs while Senate has 67 members, all earning a uniform quorate sitting allowance of Sh5,000.