A motion filed by Budalang’i lawmaker Ababu Namwamba seeking to reduce salaries of various public officers to reduce recurrent expenditure has been received positively by a number of Gusii leaders.
Speaking to the press at the assembly building on Tuesday, the leaders supported the move, terming it ‘patriotic.’
They said if the motion sails through, it will help fix disparities in salaries among the public servants, which they said is the genesis of the current standoff between teachers and TSC.
“Let me take the opportunity to thank Namwamba for that move. I think majority of MCAs are ready for the cut. We are not happy that teachers are complaining of poor pay and boycott teaching. We all need our children to be in school and if it means taking the pay cut, the be it,” said Majority Whip Henry Moracha.
However, Chitago-Borabu ward representative Albert Oino differed with Namwamba’s proposal to abolish sitting allowances for assembly committees.
“Let them cut our basic salary but not sitting allowances. We normally sit to execute important functions at the committee level,” he said.
If Namwamba's motion is passed, public servants including the president and members of the judiciary will be forced to take huge pay cuts to tame the country's crippling wage bill.