SRC keeps President salary at Sh1.4m, DP Sh1.2m as MPs lose sitting allowances

Lyn Cherop Mengich

Salaries and Remuneration Commission chairperson Lyn Cherop Mengich.


Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

The monthly salary of President and the Deputy President has been maintained at Sh1.44m and Sh1.2m respectively as MPs to earn Sh710, 000.

Car grants for state officers and plenary sitting allowances for MCAs, MPs have, however, been abolished in a new Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) gazette notice.

The government will save at least Sh382.2 million in plenary sitting allowances for the 416 members of the 13th Parliament.

The National Assembly has 349 MPs while Senate has 67 members, all earning a uniform plenary sitting allowance of Sh5,000.

While the National Assembly holds four sittings a week, the Senate has three.

The proposal by the MPs to have them get a Sh1.2 million salaries was rejected by the SRC, leaving them with the Sh710,000 taxable salaries.

Salary increase

Members of Parliament, however, got a marginal pay rise in the latest remuneration and benefits for state officers in the executive and legislative arms of government announced by the remuneration commission.

The gazette notice dated July 28, 2022 contains the monthly remunerations will run for the financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25.

The notice takes effect on August 9, 2022, the same day the country will be holding elections.

The notice shows that although the MPs’ basic monthly pay has been reduced from Sh532,500 to Sh426,000 with their plenary sitting allowance of Sh5,000 abolished, they have been awarded Sh150,000 in house allowance, a new benefit.

This adds up to Sh710,000 monthly gross salary, but minus committee sitting allowances and mileage claims and is fixed for the term of office of an MP unless reviewed by SRC.

The gross pay for an MP is the sum of Sh426,000 basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance and Sh134,000 in salary market adjustment.

The SRC defines salary market adjustment, which applies to the other state officers, as a salary modification that takes into account market positioning, and constitutional and statutory principles on review of remuneration and benefits.

No grant for MCAs

The commission has, however, abolished the Sh2 million grant for each of the 2,237 MCAs that it had approved in February 2021, which was widely viewed as an enticement for the ward representatives to approve the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill through the Building Bridges Initiative.

The MCAs grant cost the country Sh4.5 billion. This means that the MCAS will have to be content with the car loan.

While announcing the new remuneration and benefits, SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said wide consultative public and stakeholder engagements were held and warned state officers against awarding themselves benefits not contained in the gazette notice.

“The input was analysed and considered while revising the proposed remuneration and benefit structures,” said Ms Mengich.

Car grant

The commission has also abolished the car grant benefit for state officers and instead introduced a transport facilitation benefit.

“A serving State officer and a State officer appointed on or after the effective date of this Gazette Notice shall be paid the monthly remuneration set herein. The monthly remuneration set herein is fixed for the term of office of the State officer, unless reviewed and set by SRC,” the notice reads.  

The President will get a monthly pay of Sh1.44 million with his deputy getting Sh1.23 million. 

A breakdown of the Sh1.44 million gross salary, which is less than the Sh1.65 million by the time the president was serving his fifth year, shows that Sh866,250 in basic pay, Sh350,000 in house allowance and Sh227,500 market salary adjustment. 

The Sh1.23 million gross pay for the Deputy President includes Sh736,313 as basic pay, Sh300,000 house allowance and Sh190,875 salary market allowance. 

The Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate will each get Sh1.16 gross pay per month. 

A breakdown of their gross pay which excludes commuter allowance includes Sh696,000 in basic pay, Sh250,000 in house allowance and Sh214,000 in salary market adjustment. 

Their deputies will each pocket Sh928,000 gross pay per month - Sh556,800 basic pay, Sh200,000 house allowance and Sh171,200 salary market adjustment. 

The leader of majority and minority in the two houses are entitled to Sh768,000 monthly gross pay that includes Sh460,800 basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance and Sh157,200 salary market adjustment.   

A committee chairperson shall be paid a sitting allowance of up to Sh15,000 that should not exceed Sh240,000 per month, Vice-Chairperson Sh12,000 per sitting up to a maximum of Sh192,000 per month and a committee member Sh7,500 per sitting up to a maximum of Sh120,000 per month. 

Speakers of the Senate and National Assembly shall be provided with an official car of engine capacity not exceeding 3000cc. 

A special parliamentary duty allowance of Sh150, 000 shall be paid to MPs in the leadership of the two Houses.

Motor vehicle reimbursement

An MP shall be provided with a motor vehicle reimbursement of Sh7.5 million, previously a car grant, for purchase of a car of engine capacity not exceeding 3000cc “to undertake official duties as a Member of Parliament.” 

The motor vehicle reimbursement shall be payable to an MP once in a parliamentary term. An MP is also entitled to a car maintenance allowance that shall be paid at the rate of Sh356,525 per month. 

An MP shall be entitled to a mileage claim of one return journey per a week from the National Assembly in Nairobi to their constituency office at the rate of Sh116.63 per kilometre, based on a car of engine capacity not exceeding 3000cc. 

The claimable mileage allowance is zoned into two, and claimable based on actual distance in kilometres from the National Assembly to respective constituency offices. 

For the first time, city MPs and the environs will be entitled to the mileage claim. 

Those who do 0-350 kilometres have a maximum return journey per week pegged at 700 kilometres at Sh116.63 per kilometre, translating to Sh353,778 and 352 kilometres and above based on actual distance at Sh116.63 per kilometre.

Airtime allowance

An annual medical cover shall be provided to the State officer, one spouse and up to five children below 25 years fully dependent on the MP, subject to a maximum cover limit.

This includes inpatient of Sh10 million, outpatient Sh300,000, maternity Sh150,000, dental Sh100,000 and optical Sh100,000.

The two Speakers will get an airtime allowance of up to Sh25,000 per month and MPs up to Sh15,000 a month.

A Cabinet Secretary, Attorney-General and Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of Public Service will each get a gross monthly pay of Sh924,000 that includes Sh554,400 as basic pay, Sh200,000 house allowance and Sh169,600 salary adjustment. 

The Principal Secretary, Inspector General of Police Service, Director-General National Intelligence Service will earn Sh765,188 per month inclusive of Sh459,113 as basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance and Sh156,075 salary adjustment. 

The deputy Inspector General of Police Service, the Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Service and the Director Criminal Investigations (DCI) will earn Sh621,250 per month inclusive of Sh372,750 as basic pay, Sh100,000 house allowance and Sh148,500 salary adjustment. 

County Governors will be entitled to a gross monthly pay of Sh924,000 that includes Sh554,400 as basic pay, Sh200,000 house allowance and Sh169,600 salary adjustment. 

Their deputies will earn Sh621,250 a month, which includes Sh372,750 in basic pay, Sh100,000 house allowance and Sh148,500 salary adjustment. 

The members of the County Executive Committee (CECM) will earn Sh404,250 which includes Sh242,550 basic pay, Sh80,000 house allowance and Sh81,700 salary adjustment. 

Car loans

The notice indicates that the Presidency shall be provided with official transport in line with prevailing government transport policy. 

The other State officers in the Executive of the National Government shall be provided with an official car of engine capacity not exceeding 3000cc. 

They are also entitled to a medical benefit that includes an annual medical cover for the state officer, one spouse and up to four children below the age of 25 years fully dependent on the state officer. 

The cover includes inpatient of Sh10 million, outpatient Sh300,000, maternity Sh150,000, dental Sh75,000 and optical Sh75,000.  

Cabinet Secretary, Attorney-General and Secretary to the Cabinet have at their disposal a car loan of up to Sh10 million and a mortgage not exceeding Sh40 million.

 Principal Secretary, Inspector-General, National Police Service and Director General, National Intelligence Service have a car loan not exceeding Sh8 million and mortgage facility of up to Sh35 million. 

Deputy Inspector, General Kenya Police Service and Deputy Inspector General Administration Police Service have a car loan of up to Sh6 million and a mortgage not more than Sh30 million.

Daily Subsistence Allowance for local and foreign travels shall be paid to state officers in the executive of the national government, as per the rates reviewed and set by SRC from time to time. 

They shall also be entitled to airtime paid up to a maximum of Sh20,000 per month. 

Security shall be provided as advised by the Inspector-General of Police and shall not be commuted to cash.

Annual leave allowance shall be paid at the rate of Sh50,000 per annum and leave days shall not be commuted to cash. Special responsibility allowance shall be paid to designated offices as set by SRC from time to time. 

For purposes of gratuity and pension, the pensionable emolument shall be based on the monthly basic salary of 60 percent of the gross salary.