Speaker Elachi Calls on DP William Ruto to Solve Crisis at City Hall

Nairobi County Speaker Beatrice Elachi on Tuesday called on Deputy President William Ruto to intervene in a situation affecting the county employees.

Speaker Elachi issued the call to the presidency after receiving a petition from the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) concerning the County Pension Scheme Bill, 2017.

The workers petitioned the county assembly to scrape off the bill that seeks to reduce their pensions contributions from 17 to 12 percent.

KCGWU Nairobi staff branch Secretary Benson Waweru argued that the Bill was archaic noting that they had been denied the opportunity for public participation.

[caption caption="File image of DP William Ruto"][/caption]

"This Bill must be stopped from seeing the light of the day, let them come up with a Bill that will accommodate all the interests," he stated.

Mr Waweru explained that county governments had not been consulted on the matter that seeks to alter the terms and benefits on the scheme.

The bill that is set to be debated in the National Assembly further directs county governments not to deduct an amount above 30 percent of workers pensionable income.

"The proposed Scheme will provide one umbrella pension scheme for all 47 county governments besides being open to other persons approved by the Board.

"All officers and staff employed by a county government, agency, corporation or associated organization shall, after the commencement of the County Government Act, subscribe to the County Pension Fund established under the County Pension Scheme Act.

"Contributions by and in respect of an employee shall cease to be payable from the day he reaches his normal retirement date or from any earlier date upon which he ceases to be a member of the Scheme," the bill reads in part.

[caption caption="Speaker Beatrice Elachi"][/caption]

The Speaker absolved her team from discussing the petition calling on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy to act on it.