Mohammed Ali (R) with his supporter during campaigns. facebook.com/Mohammed AliNyali MP-elect Mohammed Ali (Moha) has backed Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson Sarah Serem’s decision to cut MP’s allowances as the State moves to reduce the run-away wage bill.
MPs on Wednesday protested SRC’s move to cut their mileage allowances saying it is on a mission to demean Parliament.
“I, Mohammed Ali do not support any move to increase my salary and that of my fellow elected Members of Parliament,” he said on his official Facebook page.
“I have fought for equality and fairness all through my career and my first move as a Parliamentarian will not be to enrich myself.”
On Wednesday, Homa Bay woman representative-elect Gladys Wanga said SRC’s decision to cut MPs’ allowances is meant to reduce legislators to beggars.
She said MPs will be humiliated and reduced to beggars like in the past where they depended on incentives from the executive.
“That gazette notice is not only in bad faith but it is also meant to demean MPs.”
On July 10, Serem announced the changes geared to save taxpayers more than Sh8 billion annually.
The cash cut will affect all State officers including the President, Deputy President, MPs and Cabinet Secretaries.
According to the new pay structure, the President will earn Sh1,443,750 monthly down from Sh1.6 million while the Deputy President will be paid Sh1,227,188 monthly.
Cabinet Secretaries will get a salary of Sh924,000 down from Sh1,056 000 while PSs will earn Sh765,000 down from Sh874,000.
MPs will earn Sh621,000, not the Sh710,000 they got before, the Speaker of the National Assembly will take home Sh1.1 million, governors Sh924,000 while MCAs will get Sh144,000.
Ali said: “40 percent of my countrymen live on an average of 10,000 shillings or less. I do not see the purpose of an increment without ensuring that we create a legal framework for our countrymen to generate wealth first. Count my vote against this.”