Sunday, July 4, 2010

Kenyans plan protests over MPs' salary hike

Civil society groups will hold a protest match from Nairobi's Uhuru Park to Parliament and Treasury on Tuesday to oppose legislator's move to increase their salaries.

Addressing the press today in Nairobi, the activists under Katiba Sasa Campaign urged President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga to intervene and protect taxpayers’ money from Parliament’s misuse.

Morris Odhiambo of National Civil Society Congress (NSC) said Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta should reject the move by Parliament to increase their salaries and allowances.

"We are worried about the reasons Uhuru is giving concerning the passage of the budget and the fact that the budget did not factor in the increment. He should refuse the increment in principle because no employees should determine their own salaries," read a statement by NCS.

The activists called on Kenyans to pass the Proposed Constitution to ensure legislators do not hike their salaries saying MPs are "robbing Kenyans with impunity."

"Let all Kenyans understand that the issue of MPs increasing their salaries is a serious constitutional issue. We know that MPs were opposed to an independent body setting salaries for all public officials as per the Proposed Constitution," argued Odhiambo.

Article 230 in the proposed law establishes the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, which shall set the salaries of all public officials and gives the commission powers to ‘set and regularly review the remuneration and benefits of all state officers’.

Article 260 defines MPs as state officers and article 210 requires all state officers to pay taxes.

Article 121, a, raises the required quorum for passage of bills in Parliament to 50 and clauses 122 (3) bars MPs from voting on issues where they have an interest like salary increment.

"These are the provisions they fought during the Naivasha meeting. We have announced through Operation Fagia (Clean the slate) and Operation Rudi Nyumbani (Recall), we shall actively remove MPs on the basis of their greed," warned Odhiambo.

Reverend Timothy Njoya appealed to a section of the Church opposed to the proposed law to reconsider their stand and ensure Kenya has a new constitution.

"The church should not pretend to stand on a higher moral ground. We have more pregnancies because priests are also involved in the vice. Let Cardinal John Njue tell his priests to stop the vice instead of fighting the draft law," said Njoya, who is avid supporter of the proposed law.

Njoya said Uhuru should have advised the Akiwumi Commission to hold their proposals on MPs salary increments until a new commission for salaries is in place.

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