Machakos Governor Dr Alfred Mutua has expressed his willingness to take a pay cut.
Speaking in response to plans by Kenyan MPs to increase their fat perks further, Dr Mutua warned that increasing salaries would burden Kenyans with higher taxes and push them deeper in poverty.
The Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader was speaking at his office in Machakos town on Tuesday after being installed patron of Machakos County Scouts Council.
He opposed the plan and challenged fellow legislators to drop their quest for a pay hike.
“I do not support the plan to increase the salaries and packages of Members of Parliament. Our economy is not doing well. We have massive unemployment, low circulation of money and Kenyans are feeling overburdened by heavy taxation,” said Mutua.
“I agree that everyone deserves a pay raise; from a casual worker to the President but this has to be matched by the economy. Let’s first grow the economy because as it is, I believe, public servants are overpaid in Kenya compared to other nations & on what our economy can afford.”
The County boss noted that members of parliament already command huge salaries.
Mutua said, “I think that we, leaders, take home too much money, yet we are called servants. I am willing to get my salary reduced to match the economy so that we have more money going towards development – which is what our youth want.”
“I, therefore, urge the Members of National Assembly to read the mood of the country. The timing is wrong. We cannot even afford as a country to raise salaries of workers and so raising salaries of leaders is an affront to hard working Wananchi who are our voters.”
Mutua’s rallying call comes when the Parliamentary Service Commission has increased the salary budget for the National Assembly from 5.4 billion to Sh5.6 billion in the next fiscal year ending June 2019.
This will see each MP take home a staggering Sh1.33 million per month which translates to 25 times higher than average earnings for Kenyans.
