National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi (Photo/ standardmedia.co.ke)
National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi has come out to defend members of Parliament saying that what they currently earn is not enough to meet their expenditure.Muturi said that he sees nothing unique in MPs demanding more pay than what they currently earn.Muturi said that the MPs are only pushing for an initial salary of sh 610,000 just like in the last Parliament and not what sh 532,000 recommended by the SRC."We refer to have the old system of MPs salaries at Sh610,000 and not SRC's Sh532,000. There is nothing unique in this demand and I don't get why it is exciting Kenyans so much," Muturi said on Thursday.Muturi defended MPs claim for mortgage saying that a mortgage is a loan and the MPs will have tho repay within a stipulated 4 and a half year period. He said that an MP will pay any loan within the last 6 months his or her term."A mortgage is just like a loan and you apply for a loan that you can repay. With the salaries and allowances the MPs are currently earning, they cannot manage to take such loans," said Muturi.The high Court in December last year suspended a structure to slash MPs allowances. This implies that each of the 416 MPs will pocket an extra Sh668,000 in allowances and salaries this January.