High Court Stops MPs' Sh250,000 Monthly House Allowance

The High Court has issued orders stopping the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) from paying MPs the contentious Sh250,000 monthly house allowance.

The orders were issued on Friday by Justice John Mativo following an application filed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

The injunction will remain in force until the case filed by SRC is heard and determined on June 12th.

The SRC moved to court seeking to recover the allowances it terms as unconstitutional.

The MPs awarded themselves Sh250,000 in monthly house allowances backdated to October 2018 without the approval of the SRC and the Treasury.

Last month, each of the 416 members of parliament, including 349 National Assembly members and 67 Senators received a lump sum of Sh2.25 backdated to October last year.

The SRC said the allowances are illegal and would result in loss of taxpayers cash amounting to Sh99.5 million per month and Sh1.194 billion annually.

The commission is seeking to recover Sh700 million that has already been paid to the MPs.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi said it was unfair to deny elected MP house allowances whereas other appointed State officials such as Cabinet Secretaries enjoy the benefits.

“MPs are state officers as defined in the constitution. Now, if you look at the terms and conditions in the Public Service, all the other state officers get a housing allowance. Why not MPs?" posed Muturi.

“For example, CASs (Cabinet Administrative Secretaries), some of them who lost to some of these MPs, are given cars, a house allowance and then they are also given a mortgage."