Controller of budget Agnes Adhiambo. Photo/the-star.co.ke
Kakamega MCAs were paid Sh60.82 million as sitting allowances in the first half of the 2016/17 Financial Year, indicating an insatiable appetite for perks.A report by Controller of Budgets Agnes Odhiambo indicates that the county had paid Sh54.93 million during the same period in the previous year with each of the 88 MCAs pocketing an average of Sh115,182.Ms Odhiambo said the payments reflected a 10.7 per cent increase from the previous year’s although the allowances to the ward representatives were lower than the monthly Sh124,800 recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.In the neighbouring Vihiga County, 39 MCAs were paid Sh4.97 million as sitting allowance against an annual allocation of Sh10.33 million.The perks rose compared to Sh4.38 million spent in the 2015/16 with each of MCA taking home Sh20,712 a month.The county has an annual budget allocation of Sh169.69 million for the sitting allowance. County executives and MCAs were on the spot for spending Sh118.07 million on domestic and foreign travels during the period.