Details have emerged about how Members of both the National Assembly and the Senate allegedly pocketed Ksh2.25 million without Treasury's knowledge.
Daily Nation reported on Saturday that the lawmakers awarded themselves the money which was supposed to be paid out as a Ksh250,000 monthly rent allowance beginning August 2018.
The legislators, however, received the payout in lump sum in April amounting to Ksh2.25 million for each of the 416 MPs and senators totalling to Ksh936 million.
Speaking over the matter, Parliamentary speaker Justin Muturi defended the allowances explaining that MPs were workers and that they also qualified to get allowances.
“MPs are state officers as defined in the constitution. Now, if you look at the terms and conditions in the Public Service, all the other state officers get a housing allowance. Why not MPs?
“For example, CASs, some of them who lost to some of these MPs, are given cars, a house allowance and then they are also given a mortgage,” he argued.
In an interview with the paper, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) chairperson Lyn Mengich vehemently denied knowledge of the hefty package.
“I am not aware. SRC is mandated to set salaries and remuneration of all state officers. A house allowance definitely falls under remuneration,” she stated.
This comes shortly after the Treasury set aside a Ksh1.5 Billion kitty christened 'Retired Presidents' for ensuring that retired heads of offices such as presidents, deputy presidents, prime ministers, chief justices get a pension.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is set to pocket Ksh8.8 million from the kitty and will also be furnished with three luxurious cars and personal workers such as an accountant and a chef.
