SRC Chair Sarah Serem. Photo/the-star.co.keThe average monthly sitting allowance received by Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) has sunk for the first time in nine months signaling success in the fight against wastage of public funds.
Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo in her latest report says each MCA bagged an average Sh84,875 per month in sitting allowances, down from Sh102,045 in a similar period a year earlier. This was a 16.8 per cent drop.
But even at Sh84,875, an MCA’s monthly allowance is still 37 per cent higher than Sh53,736—Kenya’s average monthly salary.
The allowances have steadily been increasing since the ward representatives took over office in May 2013, causing concern that the pay was gobbling up county government revenues with little impact in service delivery.
The MCA’s earned an average Sh82,712 a month in sitting allowances in their first year of work that ended in June 2014. The figure steadily rose in subsequent years to cross the Sh100,000 mark.
The 16.8 per cent drop is projected to have saved the taxpayer approximately Sh950 million. The allowances are paid for attending plenary sittings and County Assembly committee meetings.
Recently, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission scrapped off the perks, implying MCAs who will be elected on August 8 will have no chance of using similar means to pick taxpayers money.
Only Trans Nzoia County paid monthly sitting allowances over and above the Sh124,800 that the SRC has recommended.