MPs are crying wolf in salaries dispute

Parliament during a past session. [File, Standard]

In August, Gladys Wanga, member of the parliamentary select committee accused the Salaries and Remuneration Commissions, SRC of unfairly targeting Members of Parliament in the salaries review that reduced the salaries and allowances paid out to MPs.

“The SRC circular intended to hugely bring down MPs salaries and allowances is in bad faith and unfairly targeting members of the legislature vis a vis other arms of government,” stated Ms. Wanga adding that the SRC had not conducted a job evaluation prior to it’s review.

This is incorrect since the SRC new pay structure covered all state officials including the President, his deputy, all cabinet secretaries, the Attorney General Principal Secretaries and all top ranking security and military officials. This means that all arms of government were covered with the review and not just members of parliament.    

Ms. Wanga further accused the SRC of illegally slashing their perks against labour practices claiming that it was unfair to reduce allowances and salaries of downwards when MPs are already in the course of duty.

“30 per cent of MPs who are going to be on this parliament were already [serving] in the last and for them this will be a major reduction. Even for the new members of parliament were campaigning on the basis of the salaries and allowances that are already in the public domain.”

This is also incorrect since the SRC conducted a long evaluation process in 2013 and 2014 prior to setting the new salaries.

“The recommended remuneration structure for State Officers for the period 2017-2022 is anchored on comprehensive job evaluation undertaken in 2013,” stated the SRC in a statement released in July accompanying the new structures.  

“This is because there was no significant change in the jobs since then, hence no need for conducting another job evaluation. It also takes into account the performance of the economy and cost of living in the country.”