MCAs rubbishes Ruto’s directive, vows to shut down counties over salary row
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MCAs vow to shut down operations in the counties over salary increase row with the government
MCAs vow to shut down operations in the counties over salary increase row with the government.
Operations in County Assemblies are headed for a major shutdown — or severe disruption as MCAs said they would paralyze operations to push for higher salaries and other perks, including being provided with an armed bodyguard each.
The Association of Members of County Assemblies (AMCA) rubbished a directive by the Kenya Kwanza leadership directing them to call off the planned closure of county assemblies.
The MCAs vowed that they would continue with the plan until their demands for Ward fund, security, pension, and salary review were fully addressed.
UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malalah had earlier directed all the Kenya Kwanza affiliated County Assemblies to cease being parties to decisions by third parties.
Malalah, in a letter directed Leaders of Majority in the assemblies to make sure that the directive was adhered to and to report any MCA who contravened this.
But AMCA Secretary-General Stanley Karanja dismissed the threats, noting that the fight was about the welfare of the MCAs and had nothing to do with the parties.
The UDA Ward representative from Naivasha East accused the government of giving them a raw deal adding that all the county assemblies would close down next week.
The vocal MCA said that they would continue to agitate for an increase of their salaries from the current KES86,000 to the previous KES165,000 which was slashed on directives from SRC.
The MCAs, who currently earn about Sh144,000 are demanding that their pay be raised to Sh390,270 per month.
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Kenya has more than 2,000 MCAs, 1,450 of who are elected. Now, they all want the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to increase their salaries to 40 percent of a governor’s gross salary, which stands at Sh924,000. Currently, MCAs’ pay is about 16 percent of what a governor earns.
Additionally, the MCAs are pushing for the establishment of a Ward Development Fund, which will be pegged at 40 percent of a county’s development budget.
This will be for elected MCAs. They also want their nominated counterparts to have a County Affirmative Action Fund and both funds to be anchored in law.
They are also demanding that SRC reinstate plenary allowances just as is the case with MPs and Senators and insisted the government must compel the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to revoke and refund their 30 percent tax imposed on car loan reimbursements.
MCAs had warned that if their grievances are not addressed, then they would shut down county assemblies, effectively paralyzing operations in the 47 county assemblies and by extension governments.
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