Assembly Adjourns Over Reduction of Salaries and Remuneration
By Jonathan Chai
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Kilifi County Assembly (CA) adjourned indefinitely to protest against Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) decision to reduce members of County assemblies pecks.
In a motion moved by deputy majority leader Martha Koki seeking a sine die, the MCAs unanimously suspended plenary sittings until the commission rescinds its decision and reinstate their allowances.
Addressing the media in Malindi, Ms Koki demanded for the reinstatement of their sitting perks.
“We have adjourned the sittings until our cry is heard and we are going to the grassroots until such a time our grievances are addressed.”
The MCAs are going through difficult times since their perks were reduced from Sh144,000 to Sh86,000 per month.
“I was in the second CA when we earned Sh144,000 monthly, but now it has been reduced to Sh86,000! Legally, do salaries reduce or increase?” she posed.
Ms Koki dismissed the notion that they were selfish in seeking for better remuneration saying the money was aimed at serving their electorates better at the grassroots.
Ganze Ward MCA Karisa Ngirani accused SRC of discrimination by removing their sitting and retaining those of MPs and senators.
“Why withdrew our allowances and still maintaining those of our counterparts in the bicameral parliament?” he asked wondering what was the difference between them and the two houses.
The removal of sitting allowances, according to him, is discouraging MCAs from attending sessions since they find them useless and without monetary value.
The MCAs, throughout the country, are fighting for the Ward Development Fund to ensure they stop relying on the goodwill of governors.
“We want a law like the one that formed the National Government Constituency Development Fund so that as MCAs we can stop dancing to the tunes of the governors for the development of our respective areas,” he said.
