MPS TO BE GIVEN 11.7 BILLION TO BUY LUXURY CARS

Members of Parliament are now petitioning the Treasury seeking an additional Ksh.11.7 billion budget allocation towards providing, among others, free cars and  a gratuity for their employees.

The legislators, through a report tabled to the parliament by the Budget and Appropriations Committee this week, want a Ksh.6.67 billion send-off package allocation for their aides and Ksh.4.2 billion car grant for incoming parliamentarians.

They further want Ksh.373 million for medical insurance schemes of those who will fail to defend their seats in the August General Election.

According to the report seen by Business Daily, the MPs are also seeking an additional Ksh.500 million to top up their current subsidized mortgage of Ksh.20 million each.

“The Parliamentary Service Commission submitted to the Budget and Appropriation Committee expenditure requirements amounting to Sh65.71 billion,” committee chairperson Kanini Kega says in the report.

“This translates to a Sh27.23 billion deviation from the resource ceiling of Sh38.476 billion presented by the National Treasury.”

Adds Kega: “The committee observed that the additional requests include one-off expenditures amounting to Sh11.7 billion which are unavoidable under the current circumstances given the lapsing of the 12th Parliament.”

This means that the 418 legislators, who are entitled to a Ksh.5 million car grant each want to double the benefit to Ksh.10 million per parliamentarian.

On the other hand, the ‘gratuity for employees’ allocation the MPs want is meant to benefit their PAs, drivers, office secretaries and county workers once the legislators’ terms in office lapse in August.

Currently, MPs who serve over two consecutive terms are entitled to a Sh125,000 monthly pension for the rest of their lives while those who only serve a single term are awarded three times their monthly pension payment with a 15 percent interest.

Courtesy