Kenyan Parliament Pushes to Have 300 MPs Who Lost their Seats in 2017 Paid Sh7 Million Send-Off Package Each

The Kenyan Parliament is reportedly pushing to have more than 300 former MPs paid a send-off package of about Sh7 million each.

Business Daily reports that the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has secretly been pressuring the National Treasury to set aside Sh2.1 billion to pay the former MPs.

PSC wants the Treasury to allocate the amount in the supplementary budget for approval when Parliament reconvenes on February 12th.

If the Treasury gives in to PSC's demand, the amount will be paid to 304 former MPs who failed to defend their seats during 2017 General Election after serving for only one term.

The former MPs will receive the send-off package despite receiving Sh5.9 million each from the Pension Department as an exit package last year.

“It has been determined that the commission should request the National Treasury for the full amount of gratuity that would accrue to all one-term members of the 11th Parliament in the forthcoming 2nd supplementary budget,” says a letter signed by PSC secretary Jeremiah Nyegenye.

“For budgeting purposes, this is to request you to calculate the total amount of gratuity that would be due to all one-term members."

However, this payment would be in open defiance of the law since the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) advised against the proposed package. 

SRC argues that the MPs cannot be given both a minimum gratuity of Sh7 million and a refund of their pension contributions.

On the other hand, Parliament says SRC was wrong in blocking the Sh2.1 billion send-off pay and wants the former MPs given an exit pay equivalent to 31 percent of the total salary they earned during their term in office like other State officers such as Governors.

“Once the funds are received, the commission (PSC) would then pay to the Pensions Department the government contribution that had been paid to the said members,”  Nyegenye says in the letter to the Treasury.