The Kenyan taxpayer received a relief on Tuesday after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) condemned the move by MPs to award themselves a monthly house allowance of Ksh.250,000.
SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich, in a press statement issued Tuesday evening, declared the move by Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) illegal and unconstitutional.
Mengich maintained that it is the commission’s mandate to determine salaries and benefits for MPs and all other State officers.
“Article 260 of the Constitution categorises Members of Parliament as State Officers and as such, determination of their renumeration and benefits is the exclusive responsibility of the SRC.
“Payment of any remuneration and benefits, which have not been set or advised by SRC is in violation of the Constitution,” said SRC.
The commission is now reviewing the matter before taking appropriate action.
In the move, 416 legislators in the Senate and National Assembly secretly pocketed Sh2.25 million each last month as a combined amount for the house allowance backdated from August last year when the Parliamentary Service Commission approved the budget.
This gobbled up Ksh.936 million of taxpayers money.
