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South Igembe MP, Mithika Linturi, has brought to the floor of the National Assembly a petition to have the Salaries and Remuneration Commission disbanded.
In his petition the MP asks for “for the removal of Sarah Jepkemboi Chumo Serem as the Chairperson of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the removal of Daniel Ogutu, Sellestine Kiuluku, Serah Kinyua, Retired Brig. Samuel Ndururi, Isaiah Kubai,Jacqueline Mugo, Ann Elizabeth Owuor, Peter Oloo Aringo, Jason Namasake, Joseph Kinyua, Titus Ndambuki and Wanjuki Muchemi as members of the SRC.”
The reasons the South Igembe MP gives for his petition to remove the SRC chair and the commissioners is alleged: violation of the Constitution, violation of the law, gross misconduct in the performance of their functions; and serious incompetence in the performance of their duties.
Among those who supported the petition were MPs Jakoyo Midiwo, Aden Duale, Jimmy Angwenyi, Gladys Nyasuna, Adan Keynan.
It seems that MPs have forgotten the reason behind having an independent commission determine the salaries for state officials. In fact the MPs are doing now, i.e. demanding higher salaries as their first order of business, then threatening the independent body that is mandated to set the salaries of State Officers, is the precise reason why it is imperative that their salaries be determined by an independent body.
If determination of the MPs salaries were left up to the MPs, or a body beholden to MPs, as in the old dispensation, the debate over MPs salaries would have been a moot one or at the very least a one-sided one. Going from past history it would have been no trouble to garner a majority vote on the floor to increase MPs salaries. As it is only one MP, Muthomi Njuki, has spoken against the members bid to have their salaries increased.
The full text of the petition for the removal of the Salaries and remuneration Commission can be read here.
In the meantime since the Speaker has allowed the petition, and parliament has debated and approved it. The petition has now been forwarded to the one of parliament’s departmental committees. The committee will now prepare and present a report on the issue in 14 days. If the National Assembly accepts the report, the Speaker will the forward the recommendations made in the report to the President, who has the option to suspend the above mentioned members of the SRC and while their conduct is investigated by a tribunal.
We’ll be watching…
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