Legislators set for pay windfall after SRC gazettes rise
Kenyan lawmakers are in line for a hefty salary increment starting this month even as Kenyans demand that the government effects budget cuts and other austerity measures.
The increment is likely to trigger public uproar especially coming at a time when Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet prompting bloody street protests organised by infuriated youths who accuse elected leaders of perpetuating corruption.
A Gazette Notice by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) states that monthly remuneration structures for State Officers in the Senate and the National Assembly are to be implemented in the financial year 2024/2025, effective July 1.
In the new structure, the two Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate, Moses Wetangula and Amason Kingi respectively, will starting this month receive a gross salary of Sh1,208,362 up from Sh1,185,327, while their deputies will earn Sh966,690, up from Sh948,261.
Also set to benefit from the salary rise are the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei and her Senate counterpart Kathuri Murungi, who will now earn a gross salary of Sh966,690 up from Sh948,261.
National Assembly leaders
The Leaders of the Majority and minority parties, Kimani Ichung’wa and Opiyo Wandayi respectively, will earn Sh800,019 up from Sh784,768 which they have been earning. The other MPs and senators will earn Sh739,600, up from Sh725,502.
Others set to enjoy a pay increment are governors who will now earn Sh1,056,000 up from Sh924,000, while Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) will earn Sh164,588 from the current Sh144,375.
The changes include adjustments in the basic and market adjustment salary while House allowances remain unchanged.
Yesterday, Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge said that the proposal was made by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and could not be overturned adding that it touches on all State officers.
“The changes are normal salary reviews or increments in any organization. SRC made the adjustments last year and they were being actualized,” Njoroge told People Daily.
Speaking during a press conference on Sunday at State House, President William Ruto said he was not able to reduce the salary of MPs as demanded by Kenyan youths as his hands are tied.
“I am ready to engage with the youth in these X spaces. Tell me how I can make this better, tell me this is not good enough, and change this. I have seen they say that we reduce the salaries of MPs to Sh200,000 or something. Some of those things are not within my power, they are things where we need to do a whole nation approach,” Ruto said.
Lack of equity
Last year, Ruto rejected a proposal by the SRC to increase his salary and other State officers citing lack of equity.
The SRC had proposed to increase Ruto’s salary from his current Sh1,443,750 to Sh1,546,875 while that of his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua from the current Sh1,227,188 to Sh1,367,438, effective July 1.
Other State officers who were to receive a 7 percent salary increment included the Attorney General, the Head of the Public Service, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, the Inspector-General, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service, and the Secretary to the Cabinet.
However, the Head of State rejected the proposal saying that there is a need to first bring equality in salary payments before implementing the increment.
“Until I have instructed the SRC to give us international best practices because we need to reduce the gap between all of us who work for the people of Kenya. It’s not possible that the people at the top earn 100 times more than those at the bottom, it’s not right because we live in the same country.”
The President said that the salary increment will have to wait until the remuneration commission reports back that the country has met the compression formula threshold.
Proposed salaries
The SRC had last year proposed to increase the salaries of State officers including the President, Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries and Members of Parliament by an average of 14 per cent.
The commission wanted the President’s salary increased from the current Ksh1,433,750 to Ksh1,650,000 and that of the deputy president from Sh1,227,188 to Ksh1,402,500.
The proposed salary increment was expected to be implemented in two financial years, 2023/2024 – 2024/2025, starting July last year. The SRC set the remuneration for Cabinet Secretaries, Attorney General, Head of Public Service, and Secretary to the Cabinet Sh1, 056,000, up from Sh924,000
In the circular, the commission had noted that the proposed pay rise aligns with its mandate as set out under Article 230(4)(a) of the Constitution.
The Commission set a four-year review cycle for remuneration and benefits in the public service. The first cycle covered the period 2013/2014 – 2016/2017, while the second covered 2017/2018 – 2020/2021. The third remuneration review cycle covers the financial years (FY) 2021/2022 – 2024/2025.
Other State officers poised to benefit from the pay rise include Principal Secretaries, Chief Justice, Judges, Magistrates, Governors as well as Chairpersons of Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices.
The draft changes were to be subjected to public participation before they were officially gazetted to bring them to effect.
But President Ruto had maintained that the salary increment will have to wait until the remuneration commission reports back that the country has met the compression formula threshold.
SRC also revealed that it needs Sh340 billion annually to effectively harmonize the wage bill against the Sh22.6 billion it received from Treasury for the Financial year 2023/2024. The cost of the wage bill stands at Sh998 billion and is estimated to reach the Ksh1 trillion mark.
“We do not have harmonized salary structures based on the cash deficit. We need to focus on productivity. There are CEOs who earn Sh5 million while the President is at Sh1.6 million…look at the contest …pay in public service doesn’t look at taking pay higher,” she added.
