Kenyan parliament in session.[Photo/KenyanMonitor]
The Salaries and Renumeration Commission has stated that Members of Parliament are seeking to earn their older salaries fraudlently.
According to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the MPs obtained temporary orders to block their pay cut by failing to reveal necessary conversations between it and the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) which were held in 2013.
The MPs would earn a deceitful salary for they knew that they would get a lower salary even before they got elected, the commission argues.
The commission also stated that the court papers brought forward by MPs were not exactly the reality of what had taken place.The commission has requested the court to lift the orders mentioning that it would be unfair for the taxpayer to shoulder the old pay, making it impractical to recover the extra money in case the court dismisses the case.
The acting CEO Margret Njoka informed the court that the salary cut was proposed in 2013 and that all parties were informed.
“In 2013, the respondent recommended a remuneration structure for the members of Parliament for the period 2013-2017 and duly informed all concerned parties that the review cycle would commence on July 1, 2013,” said Ms Njoka.
Court papers have disclosed that before gazetting the pay cut the commission did make a study on labour efficiency and dynamics the prevailing economic situation, and the work done by MPs.