The Statute Law (Miscellaneus Amendments) Bill 2018 wants taxpayers to pay for the former top officials’ offices and equipment, further burdening workers with costly retirement benefits.
Former speakers of Parliament, chief justices and deputy heads of Judiciary will get fully equipped offices at taxpayers’ expense on top of more than Sh1 million monthly pension if MPs adopt a bill. The Statute Law (Miscellaneus Amendments) Bill 2018 wants taxpayers to pay for the former top officials’ offices and equipment, further burdening workers with costly retirement benefits.
These are officials who served after 1993 in what looks set to cost taxpayers millions.
“Insert the following new paragraph immediately after paragraph K ‘office and office equipment’,” reads the proposed law tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.
If the Bill sails through, taxpayers will cater for office and office equipment, besides offering the retired speakers and ex-Judiciary top staff personal assistants, secretaries, house keepers, gardeners and a cleaners.
Taxpayers are already catering for the retired leaders’ support staff, armed security guards, diplomatic passports, maintenance expenses for vehicles and access to VIP lounges at all airports.
Beneficiaries of the office plan include former speakers Ekwee Ethuro, Kenneth Marende and Francis ole Kaparo.
Others are retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and his deputy Kalpana Rawal who last year joined the exclusive club of former public servants that take home a monthly pension of more than Sh1 million besides a generous insurance cover.
Kenya has had six retired chief justices since 1993. Apart from Dr Mutunga (2011-2016), two of them, Bernard Chunga (1999-2003) and Evan Gicheru (2003-2011) are also alive.
At least five more former public officers joined the club of retirees with a monthly package of more than Sh1 million, setting up the taxpayer to shoulder a heavier burden.
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