Uhuru declines to sign into law Bill that sought to hand ex-MPs monthly pension

It’s a blow to former Members of Parliament after President Uhuru Kenyatta refused to sign into law, a bill that would have seen them get at least Ksh 100,00o monthly.

The parliamentary pension’s amendment bill was sponsored by Minority leader John Mbadi and was set to benefit MPs who served between 1984 and 2001

The president had an issue with the main clause of the bill that sought to give a monetary benefit to the former MPs.

Uhuru, in his reservation said pension for members should be calculated according to the contributions that he/she made during the time they were serving.

The President also said Mbadi and Parliament as a whole had ignored the role of the Salaries and remuneration commission that should consider and recommend salaries and commissions for all state officers.

However, the main issue according to the communication from the President was the cost implication of implementing the bill.

The president said that implementing the bill would require the taxpayer to pay at least Ksh 444million.

There was also the risk of other members of the public service demanding higher pensions.

Consequently, President Uhuru proposed the deletion of the clause, inadvertently rendering the bill useless.

In order to overturn the President’s reservations two thirds of the MPs must vote in favor of the bill a fete that has never been achieved since the conception of the 2010 constitution.

In passing the bill, MPs had narrated how the MPs who served during the time are wallowing in poverty, unable to even raise medical bills.