National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has disclosed that the Members of Parliament (MPs) are to blame in case the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) decides to slash their salaries.
Muturi argues that the lawmakers had championed for the lowering of academic qualifications to a post-secondary school certificate for Parliamentary aspirants.
He further noted that SRC would use the recommendations to review the appropriate pay which, in some instances, may lead to reduced salaries and allowances.
"If their salaries go down, they will have themselves to blame because they are the ones who are proposing to lower the standards and qualifications.
"If you want people who cannot read what is contained in a budget speech to go to Parliament then SRC is at liberty to say 'if they can't read what is contained in the budget speech, why should we pay them so much?' SRC will be justified," Mutuir told NTV on Monday, April 18.
His sentiments come after some lawmakers opined that the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), which is chaired by Muturi, was working with the Lyn Mengich-led commision to lower the allowances.
Currently, the lawmakers enjoy a Ksh5,000 sitting allowance per plenary session with a committee Vice Chair taking Ksh8,000 while the chairperson bags Ksh10,000.
The lawmakers are also entitled to a travel allowance of up to Ksh50,000 whenever they travel abroad. Overall, MPs earn a basic salary of Ksh710,000 which balloons to over Ksh1.3 million with allowances.
Defending the Parliamentary Service Commission, Muturi argued that it was not possible for commissioners to push for a cause that is not in the interest of the lawmakers.
"It is not possible for the Parliamentary Service Commissioners to champion any commission interests which is outside the interest of members
"We will be implementing that post-secondary certificate because I think Kenyans want that kind of qualification but they must bear in mind that SRC will be looking at it. If you set a very low benchmark, don't then complain of what kind of salary SRC is going to recommend for your members," he explained.
In early April, the High Court had quashed a degree requirement for MPs noting that the provision had failed to undertake public participation.
