MPs Threaten to Disband Salaries Commission for Scrapping Sitting Allowances

Newly elected MPs have threatened to disband the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) over its decision to scrap sitting allowances in plenary sessions.

Led by Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, the lawmakers accused the SRC of overstepping its mandate and have asked the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) to challenge the move in court.

“We will not sit and watch the SRC take away what we enjoyed in the last Parliament. We will ask the Parliamentary Service Commission to challenge the gazette notice failing which we will embark on a process to disband the SRC,” Wanyonyi said on Thursday.

SRC announced the abolishment of sitting allowances as well as car grants and transport mileage for MPs through a gazette notice last month.

SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said the move was part of a new review of the remuneration and benefits for State officers.

The commission retained MPs’ committee sitting allowance where the chairperson pockets Sh15,000 per sitting before tax, the vice-chairperson gets Sh12,000 and a member of the committee gets Sh7,500. It also increased MPs' basic pay by Sh134,000 to Sh710,000.

By scrapping the plenary sitting allowance, SRC vice chairperson Dr. Amani Komora said the commission expects to save between Sh1 billion to Sh1.5 billion per year.