Fresh headache for President as MCAs renew push for more money

President William Ruto faces a fresh headache as MCAs reignite the push for enhanced salaries, allowances and other benefits.

The development comes even as the ward reps opened a war with their speakers, threatening to kick them out of their forum.

The MCAs have secured a court order stopping implementation of the revised County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2024 that slashed close to Sh5 billion from the assemblies.

“Without Sh5 billion, county assemblies cannot oversight, they cannot legislate and, therefore, they cannot represent their people effectively,” County Assemblies Forum secretary general Mwaura Chege said.

The ward reps spoke during the general assembly of the forum at KICC in Nairobi. The meeting came ahead of a legislative summit scheduled for March 14-17 in Nairobi.

President Ruto will open the conference, where the MCAs will put forward their demands. The MCAs demanded an increase in their salaries and the reinstatement of the plenary sitting allowance that was scrapped by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

The over 2,000 ward reps also want the state to introduce a pension for them, similar to that of the MPs and senators in what would see the taxpayers fork out additional millions of shillings.

“MCAs do not have pensions. We are fathers and mothers. We have people to look after when we retire,” Kwale assembly majority leader Halifa Mwajirani said.

Currently, there is no established pension scheme for the ward reps, even those who have served for more than one term.

However, a bill seeking to establish the scheme for the ward reps is currently pending in the Senate. The County Assemblies Pensions Scheme Bill, 2024 is sponsored by Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot.

It provides that the County Assembly Public Service Boards shall contribute 15 per cent of the MCAs’ personable emoluments while the individual ward reps contribute 7.5 per cent.

“Every sponsor shall contribute to the scheme not less than 15 per cent of the pensionable emoluments of a member of the scheme plus the amounts necessary to cover the premiums for the insured benefit,” the bill states.

The sponsor is defined as the MCAs’ employer – County Assembly Public Service Boards – which is funded by the taxpayer.

“In addition to the contributions, the sponsor [employer] shall take out and maintain a life insurance policy that has disability benefits in favour of every member of the scheme for a minimum of three times the member’s annual pensionable emoluments,” the bill reads.

Mwajirani, who doubles up as chairperson of the majority leaders’ chapter in CAF, said she takes home about Sh90,000, an amount she said is 300 per cent of what their speakers earn.

“The only office that is operational in the county assemblies are those of speakers because they have big vehicles, personnel and even a budget to manage and run their day-to-day operations,” she added.

Currently, an MCA takes home Sh154,481 in salary, which consists of a basic salary of Sh92,689, a house allowance of Sh50,000, an official commuter allowance and a salary market adjustment of Sh11,792.

This excludes the sitting allowance capped at Sh124,000 per member per month.

“How can you oversight a governor who earns Sh1 million and you earn Sh86,000? Why are you paying us like labourers while you pay yourself like bosses?” the MCA said amid cheers from the charged ward reps.

At one point, the meeting turned chaotic after an MCA claimed one of the top officials was barring them from airing their concerns.

Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna was the chief guest at the meeting also attended by Governor Irungu Kang’ata.