National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi has discouraged Members of Parliament from taking pay cuts and instead urged them to give donations.
Despite some MP's taking pay cuts, legislators are yet to announce voluntary salary cuts as compared to other public servants led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Monday, April 13, Mbadi argued that salary cuts would make a lesser impact compared to donations, "MP's taking pay cuts is on basic salary which is less than 400,000 as we speak.
"10% of that, let's say upwards of 400,000 is 40,000 and that 40,000 is usually taken as taxation so the remaining amount which one would be offering in actual sense is 28,000.
"Multiply that by 400 MP's but then, I would encourage MPs who are buying food for their constituents and that is something that some of us are thinking of because then if you take the 28,000 from me for three months it is hardly 70,000.
"If I can produce half a million and buy food for my constituents that would be enough support, it's not even a sacrifice, we are not talking about sacrifice unless you want us to do it for popularity's sake which many people have done."
On Wednesday, March 25, the president announced he will take a voluntary pay cut of 80% together with his deputy.
Cabinet secretaries would also take a 30% pay cut, a move that was emulated by governors and their deputies, Supreme Court Judges and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka.
Mbadi gave examples of MPs who have helped their constituents, "Members of Parliament are intervening in their own different ways.
"I've seen like for example the MP for Embakasi East has put quite a number of things for his constituents probably that is his way of taking a pay cut.
"I saw the MP for Rarieda with several pickups and he has bought quite a bit of food for his constituents, the MP for Kesses also did the same.
"I have seen the MP for Ndhiwa buying airtime to health workers in his constituency, I think that is what we need to encourage."
