MPs travel budget climbs to Sh3.2bn on mileage return

The travel budget for MPs grew 88 percent in the first nine months to March to Sh3.4 billion after the the courts reinstated mileage allowance that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had withdrawn.

Data released on Monday by the Controller of Budget indicates that National Assembly travel spending grew from Sh1.8 billion in the nine months to March 2018.

The SRC had in July 2017 gazetted new remuneration structure for State officers that proposed a reduction in legislator’s basic salary and scrapping of five allowances including mileage claims.

Implementation of the SRC’s salary reviews was halted by the High Court in December 2017, allowing Parliament to revert to paying MPs the higher salaries and perks as well as offering them the scrapped Sh5 million car grant.

Out of the travel budget, MPs spent Sh2.2 billion on domestic travels in the first nine months of 2018/19 compared to Sh1.1 billion over similar period the previous financial year.

The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) on December 15, 2017 reverted to the old mileage reimbursement packages that handed each MP fixed maintenance car allowance of Sh356,525 per month.

MPs whose constituencies are allocated more than 375km from Parliament also got back allowances initially scrapped by the SRC.

The PSC’s move came just one day after High Court judge George Odunga on December 14 temporarily barred the salaries agency from implementing the pay cut, targeting State officers.

The data released on Monday shows MPs also increased their foreign trips in the nine months of review. They spent Sh1.2 billon on trips abroad compared to Sh714.2 million previously.

The data released by Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo shows Parliament workers whose packages were also revised arbitrarily by MPs also enjoyed huge spend on domestic and foreign trips.

They spent Sh1.04 billion on domestic travel Sh699 million the year before.