Councillors seek Sh3bn gratuity

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The chairman of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya (ALGAK) Taariya Kores (centre) who is also the mayor of Ole Kejuado County council, looks on as Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi (left) receives an award at a past function. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By EDWIN MUTAI emutai@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, August 22  2012 at  23:30

Councillors from 175 local authorities are lobbying Parliament to secure a Sh3.6 billion wind-up allowance ahead of the next General Election.

Through the Association of Local Government Authorities of Kenya (ALGAK), the 3,625 elected and nominated councillors want MPs to ensure that they are each paid Sh1 million as gratuity.

The association is also seeking the House support to have a monthly pension pegged at a third of the annual salaries they currently earn.

ALGAK chairman Taraiya ole Kores and secretary-general Hamisi Mboga met the Local Authorities Committee on Wednesday to seek support of the House to have the money set aside in the budget.

They asked the committee chaired by Lamu West MP Fahim Twaha to explore ways to ensure they secure the funds either through the Consolidated Fund or Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF).

“We are seeking (for) your support to have the gratuity promised to us by the then Local Government Minister Musalia Mudavadi set aside,” said Mr Kores.

He noted that despite assurances from the former minister that a Cabinet memo on the same had been circulated to the ministers, nothing had been forthcoming as time runs out.

“Realising the onerous duties and responsibilities councillors shoulder, and considering that councillors play major roles in their councils, it is only imperative and logical that the issue of gratuity be given due consideration by the powers that be.”

Committee members Shakeel Shabir, Zakayo Cheruiyot, Oyugi Magwanga and Gideon Mungaro could not agree on how to approach the matter given that the civic leaders are not recognised in law as public officers.

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“The Constitution does not recognise you, neither does the law that recognise state or public officers,” said Mr Shabir.

The committee floated several ways through which the councillors could present their case to the government.

This included pushing through amendments to the Local Authorities Act to recognise the councillor’s terminal pay.

The MPs also proposed that the association pushes its case through the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

“This will give us an opportunity to ensure that you are included in the retirement scheme to be drawn for the President, Prime Minister, Vice President, MPs and yourselves,” he said.

The other option floated is for MPs to ensure that acting Local Government Minister Fred Gumo includes the councillor’s allowances in the next budget.

“The minister for Finance is on record as directing all ministers to start preparing for their budget before November this year. This is a perfect opportunity to push through your pay,” said Mr Shabir.

He also advised the association to direct its members to pass resolutions to incur debt so that they use the funding to meet their gratuity.

“The councils should pass resolutions to award themselves the gratuity and force the minister to shoulder the debt. The minister will thereafter be obligated to provide funding in the budget to meet the debt which by next year will be captured by the Transitional Authority as liabilities,” he said.

The committee, however questioned how the association arrived at the Sh1 million standard figure given that every local authority has its salary scale for its councillors.

“There are councils such as Mandera whose leaders are paid about Sh20,000 while councillors in urban councils earn up to Sh80, 000. How do you explain the rationale of a flat gratuity of Sh1 million?” asked Mung’aro, a former Malindi mayor.

Mr Taraiya defended the Sh1 million figure saying councillors perform similar duties irrespective of their areas of domicile.