The Treasury’s disclosure that former President Mwai Kibaki’s pension and perks will outstrip the basic pay of the sitting President in the 2020/2021 fiscal year calls for a rethink of how the country rewards its retired leaders.
The law sets a retired president’s monthly pension at 80 percent of the salary paid to a sitting president. The fact that Mr Kibaki is set to take home a total of Sh2.86 million per month in the year starting July compared to the official basic salary of Sh1.44 million of President Kenyatta is largely due to extraneous allowances, which have in the past been unsuccessfully challenged in court.
