Senate accuses SRC of slashing MCAs pay while hiking others

He said the attempt by SRC to increase salaries of senior government officials was out to hoodwink Kenyans and that it should come out clearly why MCAs were being treated as second class citizens yet they deserve pay commensurate with their work.

SRC chairperson Lynn Mengich who appeared before the Senate Devolution Committee had a difficult time explaining why they increased salaries of the President and MPs, while neglecting MCAs.

Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga said MCAs have a responsibility to oversight governors who control billions of shillings yet themselves have nothing in the pocket, saying that situation leave them at the mercies of their respective governors who can influence them to look the other way as funds are being misappropriated.

Oburu said MCAs deserve a good pay since they do not have a financial kitty but are always on the ground unlike MPs who mostly operate in Nairobi.

"It is absurd that MCAs are expected to oversight governors who earn ten times more than them. SRC should not preside over killing of devolution. Give MCAs the pay that they deserve," said Oburu.

Marsabit Senator Mohammed Chute said MCAs in his county cover hundreds of kilometres to reach their wards and that the salaries they receive end up going into fuel for their vehicles yet the locals look up to them for various financial challenges that they face on daily basis which they cannot meet.

Wajir Senator Sheikh Abass said some committee clerks in the county assemblies were earning more than their committee chairpersons which showed a disparity and that those operating in harsh terrains need to get good vehicles and sufficient allowances so that they can deliver on their mandate.

The chairperson of the Association of Members of County Assembly Sam Karanja told the Committee they are not asking SRC to add more money for their pay but want the budgetary allocation given to the county assemblies to be used to remunerate them accordingly since it sufficient to cater for their pay increase.

Karanja said it was disheartening that despite most MCAs being highly educated, with some having master's degree, SRC was handling them like people who did not go to school which is displayed by the way it treated their remuneration by having it reduced over the years where they are now supposed to take home a gross pay of Sh144,375.

He said MCAs are seeking to be paid at least Sh450,000 which is 40 per cent of what is paid to governors whom they are supposed to oversight and that what they are earning at moment could not meet the many financial demands from their constituents which have left them impoverished.

Ms Mengich told the committee that SRC had not reduced MCAs salaries and that they had set the monthly gross remuneration package at Sh144, 375 fixed for the term of office and published it in a Gazette Notice Number 6518 of July 7, 2017 which was midpoint of Sh123,750 and Sh165,000.

She said they had on March 1, 2013 set the monthly gross remuneration package for MCAs at a minimum Sh79,200 and a maximum of Sh105,600 over a period of five years which was re-evaluated in November 2013 with a remuneration of package of a minimum Sh123,750 and a maximum Sh165,000 by the end of five years.

"Therefore there was no reduction in the total gross remuneration earned by Members of County Assembly over the five years term of office and that they have not been disadvantaged, their responsibilities performed in plenary sittings were considered in setting their Sh144,375 gross pay and were therefore scrapped," said Mengich.