CJ and Nyachae to earn more than President

By Paul Wafula

NAIROBI; KENYA: Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Commission on the Implementation of Constitution (CIC) Chairman Charles Nyachae will earn more than the President.

The gap has been created after the salaries team slashed the pay of the incoming president, but left those of serving State officers.

“A serving State officer whose remuneration and benefits were set for the position they are holding before the establishment of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), where such remuneration is above the set remuneration shall retain it,” the salaries boss Sarah Serem says in a gazette notice.

As of October, last year, the Chief Justice was earning Sh1.27 million. This included Sh782,220 basic salary, Sh100,000 house allowance and an entertainment allowance of Sh120,000.

According to a parliamentary report tabled last year by the Assistant Minister for Finance, the Chief Justice also receives another Sh185,500 extraneous duty allowance, Sh13,000 non-practising allowance, and another Sh69,500 in domestic staff allowance. 

Mr Nyachae earns Sh1.24 million a month, inclusive of allowances. His basic salary is Sh849,360 and a house allowance of Sh140,000. His monthly extraneous duty allowance is Sh120,000. He is paid a similar amount as entertainment allowance while his domestic staff allowance is Sh15,600 a month.   

Gap wider

The new President-elect will, therefore, come third in the line of super earners among State officers after SRC fixed the gross salary at Sh1.23 million a month. This includes 40 per cent pay in allowances. This means he will be earning Sh32,720 less than the Chief Justice. In case the Chief Justice and the CIC boss got a salary rise this year, then the gap would be wider. The revelation may create a storm in the Executive as the new Government settles down.

However, the new President will receive a Sh103,125 pay rise per year for the next five years. This will see his pay cheque jump to Sh1.65 million by 2017 when his term ends. The SRC hopes to share about Sh13 billion among the 3,670 State officers. The Auditor-General Edward Ouko, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Isaack Hassan, Attorney General Githu Muigai, Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko as well as the Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo are the other State officers whose pay will remain intact for now.

Deputy President-elect William Ruto will also be beaten in pay by a number of State officers. The SRC has set the deputy president’s gross monthly salary at Sh1 million and an annual pay rise of Sh87,656 per year. His pay will have risen to Sh1.4 million at the end of the term.

But what will concern taxpayers is the move to increase the threshold of allowances from the proposed 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

In the new package, a Cabinet Secretary will earn the same amount like the Attorney General, Secretary to the Cabinet and the Chief of Defence Forces. However, this may not happen in the current term given the officers were appointed before the salaries team was constituted.

A Cabinet Secretary will have a starting salary of Sh792,000 a month. The new government can appoint at least 14 but not more than 22 Cabinet secretaries.