An average Member of Parliament in Kenya takes home a salary of Ksh621,250 per month, making them among the highest-paid legislators in the world.
However, the Members of Parliament have been making up to Ksh4.2 million annually and over Ksh20 million in one parliamentary term from car maintenance allowances.
MPs receive a car maintenance allowance of Ksh356,525 per month. This is on top of their salary and a mileage allowance which has been a bone of contention due to its unlimited nature.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has on several occasions proposed measures to cap the mileage allowance. However, lawmakers have constantly opposed the move, lamenting that the entity's sole motive was to scale down their salaries.
The MPs are also entitled to health insurance with an inpatient cover of Ksh10 million and an outpatient one of Ksh300,000. They also enjoy a dental cover of up to Ksh75,000. Female members are further eligible for a maternity cover of up to Ksh150,000.
With the 2022 General Election drawing closer, Members of Parliament can look forward to a hefty payday in the form of sendoff perks which will see each walk home with Ksh11.6 million. Those who will be re-elected will accumulate a similar amount in the successive term.
Newly elected Members of Parliament automatically become eligible for a car grant of Ksh7 million as well as a mortgage facility of up to Ksh40 million.
They are further granted a house allowance of Ksh250,000 per month and a lifetime pension of between Ksh100,000 and Ksh125,000 per month.
The huge perks enjoyed by Parliamentarians has long been a serious bone of contention with Kenyans calling on a more regulative framework to stop the wastage of taxpayers money.
“We need to realise that we have useless, irrelevant, bloated institutions and that we need to act and start afresh,” a netizen remarked.
“How did we come to accept that politicians are at the very top? Politics should not be a lucrative business. A politician should not earn any salary or meddle in government contracts,” another one added.
The mouth-watering perks have led to an influx in the number of young people seeking elective seats in all available positions.
