Economy

SRC finally gives county assembly members pay increase

SEREM

Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) chairperson Sarah Serem at a past function. FILE

Members of the county assemblies have earned a sweetheart deal that will see their pay increase by Sh2.64 billion, as well as getting higher mileage allowances and access to newly formed mortgage and car schemes.

The Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) met the demand by speakers, deputy speakers and members of county assemblies, giving them Sh3 million mortgage and Sh2 million car loan per elective term. It has also awarded them higher mileage allowances of Sh39,528 per every 90 kilometre return journey, up from Sh20,000.

The salaries and allowances hike alone will see the overall wage bill of the 2,000 officials rise by 45.8 per cent to Sh8.43 billion from the current Sh5.78 billion.

The announcement comes just a week after the Cabinet froze all recruitments and salary reviews in government in an attempt to tame a bloated wage bill.

 “The financial impact of the changes in the remuneration is 55.3 per cent — from the previous budget of Sh2.18 billion per annum to Sh3.39 billion per annum,” said Sarah Serem, the SRC chairperson in a statement.

“Facilitative Allowances (mileage and sitting allowances) have changed by 39.7 per cent from the previous budget of Sh3.6 billion per annum to Sh5.04 billion per annum.”

Deputy speakers are the biggest beneficiaries of the review since their salaries will increase by 127.2 per cent from the current Sh79,200 to Sh180,000 per month. This amount will be reviewed annually before finally peaking at Sh240,000 at the end of their terms.

READ: Serem team starts review of county officials’ salaries

Members who were similarly earning Sh79,200 per month will now get Sh123,750, a 56.3 per cent pay hike that will after five years rise to Sh165,000.

Speakers got the least pay hike of 16.7 per cent and will see their monthly pay climb to Sh262,500 from the current Sh225,000, before being reviewed to Sh350,000.

While the increments may seem like a win for county officials, who have been on strike since September agitating for higher salaries, some may still take issue.
Senate Standing Committee on Devolved Government chairman Kipchumba Murkomen on Thursday spoke of this dissatisfaction through a post on his official Twitter account.

The “leadership of County Assembly accuse the Senate Devolution Committee and the chair (me) for denying them better salary than announced today,” the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator tweeted Thursday afternoon.

Mr Murkomen, who has been particularly vocal on the pay issue, did not respond to the Business Daily’s requests for him to expound on the statement.

The county representatives initially wanted to more than triple their pay to Sh257,500 per month while the 47 speakers wanted their pay to more than doubled to Sh512,800 per month.

They also wanted the State to pay their domestic staff, offer them an annual medical insurance cover of Sh5.3 million each, and special duty allowances of Sh77,523.

SRC termed the demands as unrealistic for a country whose wage bill stands above the recommended level of seven per cent of national revenue.