By ABIGAEL SUM
KENYA: Civil society leaders have announced yet another march protest to Parliament next week Tuesday to express their disgust towards MPs for hiking their pay.
Dubbed Occupy Parliament Reloaded, the leaders said the legislators were oblivious of the plight of Kenyans following their unanimous vote that reinstated the huge salaries after overturning a gazette notice that pegged it at Sh532,000.
National Civil Society Congress president Morris Odhiambo said yesterday in Nairobi that Kenya cannot continue to spend resources to pay a few people. “Kenya is in no position to continue spending its resources to safeguard the lifestyles of the haves since this means neglecting the poor who in many cases cannot afford privately contracted services,” said Odhiambo.
He said they would not give up on the struggle against myopia, greed, corruption and wastage of public resources. They lambasted the recent call by the legislators to, among other things, lower value added tax (VAT) and remove income tax for Kenyans earning Sh50,000 shillings.
