Premier and VP poised for hefty send-offs

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka are to be paid hefty retirement perks if Parliament passes new laws on MPs’ salaries.

Mr Odinga will be entitled to Sh1 million a month, while Mr Musyoka will take home Sh800,000 if they decide to quit politics.

The handsome package for the PM and the VP as well as the Speaker is contained in reports by the tribunal set up to review MPs’ pay and the Parliamentary Service Commission.

Legislators will debate and most likely adopt the two reports and three draft Bills to give the recommendations the force of law.

The reports propose the enactment of The Retirement Benefits (Prime Minister, Vice-President and Speaker of the National Assembly) Bill 2010 to provide for a raft of benefits that retiring PMs, VPs and Speakers will be entitled to.

The Bill, to be tabled in the House by Finance minister Uhuru Kenyattta in the next seven days, proposes that retired PM and VP each receive a monthly pension equal to 80 per cent of the last monthly salary earned while in office.

The reports recommended also that the PM take home a basic monthly salary of Sh1.3 million and the VP Sh1 million.

In addition, the Bill grants retired PM and VP a Sh200,000 monthly housing allowance and gratuity, paid at the end of every two years and calculated at the rate of 20 per cent of their last monthly salaries while in office.

But Parliament, through a two thirds majority, may vote to deny them the benefits on the ground that the PM, the VP or the Speaker ceased to hold office after violating the Constitution, was guilty of gross misconduct or has, since retirement, been convicted and sentenced to three or more years’ in jail or actively engaged in politics.