MCAs take home hefty allowances

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o. [File, Standard]

Members of County Assembly (MCAs), famed for their extravagance, have done it again.

Amidst massive job losses occasioned by Covid-19 containment measures, some county assemblies raided the public coffers to award themselves hefty sitting allowances between April and June.

Analysis of the latest report by the Controller of Budget shows that slightly over half of the 47 county assemblies increased the average monthly sitting allowance for MCAs and speakers during this period even as Kenyans were grappling with a harsh environment with 1.7 million losing jobs.

However, rather than heed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s plea to take a pay-cut in the fight against the pandemic, the leaders pocketed more monthly sitting allowances compared to the pre-Covid period.

Seven county assemblies more than doubled sitting allowances for MCAs and speakers, with the biggest beneficiaries being those from Samburu who enjoyed a six-fold increase.

Each of the 28 Samburu MCAs took home an average of Sh123,409 in monthly allowance, an increase from Sh20,317 that they got in the nine months to March.   

The 31 MCAs in Marsabit more than doubled their average monthly sitting allowances during the period under review, taking home Sh201,212 compared to an average of Sh63,793 in the first nine months of the financial year that ended in June.

Nandi MCAs saw their monthly sitting allowances increase to Sh82,846 from Sh46,606.

Kirinyaga MCAs increased their allowances by 165 per cent, Isiolo, 149 per cent and Embu, 112 per cent.  

Machakos MCAs saw their average sitting allowances increase by 102 per cent, Migori (97.3 per cent), Kisumu (91.3 per cent), Nyeri (91.2 per cent), Kajiado (89 per cent).

Other MCAs that lined their pockets with more sitting allowances were those from Bungoma, Kiambu, Siaya, Kwale, West Pokot, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Nairobi, Kilifi, Makueni, Kericho, Nakuru and Taita Taveta.

However, there are county assemblies that spent less on MCAs’ sitting allowances.  

Sitting allowances for MCAs in Tana River were slashed by 159 per cent. Total expenditure on MCA’s sitting allowance reduced from Sh28,235,600 in the nine months to March to Sh22,684,500.  

Other county assemblies that saw their sitting allowances reduce include Turkana by 100 per cent, Homa Bay, 82 per cent, Laikipia, 73.6 per cent, Elgeyo Marakwet, 68.3 per cent.

Garissa, Tharaka Nithi, Busia, Mombasa, Narok, Kitui, Lamu, Nyamira also reduced their sitting allowances in period that also saw revenues collected by the national and county governments under perform.

Greatly hampered

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, noted in the report that in Financial Year 2019/20, the assemblies spent Sh2.17 billion on MCAs sitting allowances against an approved budget allocation of Sh2.65 billion.

“This expenditure translates to 82 per cent of the approved MCAs sitting allowance budget, and a decrease from Sh2.2 billion spent in FY 2018/19,” said Nyakang’o, noting that own-source-revenues by counties were hampered by the adverse effects of Covid-19.

Kenya registered the first case of Covid-19 in March 13, with economic activities greatly hampered by the social distancing rules that the Government instituted afterwards in a bid to contain the spread of the pandemic.  

Close to 1.7 million people lost their jobs as businesses adversely affected by these measures shut down, thousands others saw their salaries slashed with the Government collecting far less in taxes.

Leading by example, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto took an 80 per cent pay cut with money going towards the fight against the pandemic.

Cabinet Secretaries and Chief Administrative Secretaries saw their salaries slashed by a third while Principal Secretaries lost 20 per cent of their salaries.

Governors followed suit by taking 30 per cent pay cut, the same as the Chief Justice and his deputy. The other Supreme Court judges took a 20 per cent pay cut.

However, some MCAs, have not found it worthwhile to be philanthropic at a time when the nation is facing an existential crisis that is robing millions of their livelihood.

In total, counties’ budget was estimated at Sh499.62 billion with a big chunk of the money, Sh331.6 billion, going to recurrent expenditure such as salaries and sitting allowances.

Development spending comprised slightly over a third of this budget at Sh187.98 billion.

“During the reporting period, county governments spent Sh389.79 billion which translates to an overall absorption of 76.8 per cent which was a decline from 77.9 per cent attained in FY 2018/19 where total expenditure was Sh376.43 billion,” read the report.

A total of Sh279.27 billion was spent on recurrent expenditure and Sh104.51 billion on development activities. Development expenditure represented an absorption rate of 55.6 per cent, and was 27.2 per cent of total expenditure in the reporting period.