Taxpayers will pay more than Sh785 million annually to MPs and county top dogs in a new salary structure proposed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
The pay rise for the state officers comes as the country is grappling with a ballooning wage bill with little left over for development.
The SRC on Tuesday sought public views on the changes, which will become effective once gazetted by the commission.
Economist Abraham Ruto, Kenya country manager of the international Budget Partnership, said the pay rises would have little impact on the wage bill.
Wage bill Sh3.5bn from Sh3.1bn
Each of the 416 MPs and senators will be paid an additional Sh88,750. The new pay will push their wage bill to Sh3.5 billion from the current Sh3.1 billion.
It seems like a lot of money, but he said not that many officials are getting pay rises. The real issue, he said, is allowances and money outside salaries. Not everyone gets a pay rise, many salaries are maintained. In one case, there’s a Sh1 increment per month for MCAs.
In the proposed remuneration and benefits structure, MPs’ gross salary would rise to Sh710,000 per month from the current Sh621,250.
Each of the 416 MPs and senators will be paid an additional Sh88,750. The new pay will push the MPs’ wage bill to Sh3.5 billion from the current Sh3.1 billion.
MPs earn an average of Sh1 million a month — including numerous allowances such as mileage, committee sitting allowance, daily subsistence allowance and airtime.
MPs, however, would lose their allowances for attending plenary sessions, their job.
For committees, though, the sitting allowances rate has increased two-fold. It is proposed the chairpersons shall be paid Sh15,000 per sitting – the maximum of Sh240,000 per month.
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Committee vice chairpersons would be paid Sh12,000 per sitting – to a maximum of Sh192,000. Members would be paid Sh7,500 per sitting but capped at Sh120,000 per month.
Currently committee vice chairpersons earn Sh8,000, while ordinary members take home Sh5,000.
In the proposed deal, county assembly speakers’ pay would increase by Sh144,375 per month from the current Sh259,875.
This means the 47 county speakers will each take home Sh404,250 per month.
This would translate to an increase of Sh81.4 million annually for all the devolved units.
Their deputies, on the other hand, are set to have their pay reduced from Sh216,000 per month to Sh210,000.
Members of County Executive Committees (CECs) are poised for a raise of Sh45,000 per month.
They would earn Sh306,250 in the structure under review.
Deputy IGs – General Kenya Police and Administration Police Service – will retain monthly pay atSh621,250.
The Chief Justice will receive a starting salary of Sh990,000 — to peak at Sh1.3 million — while that of the Deputy Chief Justice would range from Sh821,333 to Sh1.2 million.
Judges of the Supreme Court have their pay fixed at a minimum of Sh792,000 and a maximum of Sh1.2 million, while Appeal Court judges would be paid a minimum of Sh689,000 per month.
Members of county assemblies would earn Sh1 more a month, Sh144,376 per month, above the current Sh144,375.
MCAs serving as deputy speakers of county assemblies would be paid a gross of Sh210,000.
The structure retains governors’ pay at Sh924,000, deputy governor’s pay at Sh621,250.
“The proposed monthly consolidated remuneration package is fixed for the term of the office of the state officer in the executive of the county governments unless otherwise reviewed and set by the SRC,” chairperson Mengich said.
The commission said the proposed monthly consolidated remuneration package is a consolidated pay and includes house allowances in line with the Employment Act, 2007.