Former Members of Parliament (MPs) who served between 1984 and 2001 will now get at least Ksh.100,000 every month if President Uhuru Kenyatta will ascend to the amendments made to the Parliamentary Pensions Act.
The amendments proposed by Minority Leader John Mbadi seek to cushion former MPs who he says have been earning peanuts as a pension.
While defending his Bill on the floor of the House, Mbadi said the payments won’t cost Kenyans much especially after they removed a clause that required the payments to be backdated to 2010.
He says as of now, it will only require Ksh.144 million per year to finance the payments to former MPs who served between 1984 and 2001 who are around 150 in number.
Most MPs defended the Bill and urged the President to sign the Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2019 into law.
“When you look at some of these MPs, when you see their shoes you feel sympathy for them, we must support this bill, any of us could be former MP anytime,” said Minority Whip Junet Mohammed.
Former Majority Leader Aden Duale, however, warned the Bill could cause victimization of parliament, saying they are already not in good books with the public.
Duale also warned other civil servants could start a clamor for an increase in their pensions after the MPs passed the Bill.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers will continue to push for their benefits when Mwatate MP Andrew Mwadime will table a Bill that seeks to ensure MPs who served one term will start getting pension.
Currently, only MPs who serve two or more terms get pension.