MPs say stopping Ksh.250K house allowance will cripple their work

MPs through the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) now want orders stopping the house allowance payment set aside.

This even as the High Court extended the orders barring their payment until June 24 pending hearing and determination of the suit.

The commission argues that the orders issued to Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) were issued through non material disclosure.

“Nothing would lead to loss of additional public funds because the accommodation facilitation had already been factored into 2018/19 financial year budget,” reads court papers.

The PSC on Wednesday further denied that catering for MPs accommodation would lead to loss of additional public funds of over Ksh.99million.

According to them, the court orders will cripple the performance of their duties as spelt out under the constitution.

“It is therefore in public interest that the MPs are facilitated by the SRC to perform their legislative mandates,” PSC argues.

PSC argues that MPs are in a unique situation where they have two work stations, one at the respective constituencies and the other within Parliament in Nairobi.

They have it that it is therefore the constitutional and statutory responsibility of the SRC to provide accommodation in the two places to enable them to work.

SRC obtained interim orders stopping the Parliamentary Service Commission from further paying Ksh.250,000 monthly house allowance.

Through lawyer Peter Wanyama, the SRC filed the petition that seeks to ultimately stop further implementation of the house allowance and initiate recovery of the money paid so far.