MPs stare at financial ruin if President Uhuru assents
Hundreds of MPs are set to lose hefty perks and also face financial institutions over unpaid loans should President Uhuru Kenyatta dissolve Parliament as advised by the Chief Justice.
Members are entitled to mortgages, car loans, sitting and travel allowances, health insurance among others. Salaries and perks for MPs increased by 28 percent or Sh3.1 billion in 2018.
The perks are calculated on the five-year term meaning that the repayment must be completed before the end of the period.
The matter to do with loans and grants is so emotive to members and most of those we attempted to discuss with refused to be engaged totally.
“You go ask Maraga, he seems to have some beef with MPs,” a member told People Daily when contacted.
If Parliament is dissolved members will have to dig deep into their pockets to repay the loans or be auctioned or have their properties attached.
Yesterday, the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi gave the MPs a ray of hope when he announced that they will continue drawing salaries without any disruptions.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) chairman Nelson Havi had on Monday said that owing to the CJ’s advisory, lawmakers had ceased to be in office and hence should no longer benefit from any perks from the employer.
But Muturi explained; “You should not worry over anything, you are Mps and you will continue enjoying all your perks uninterrupted.”
The move by the CJ came as a shocker to many of the legislators who are owed millions in loans and overdrafts.
A source told People Daily that members were yesterday flocking the Parliamentary Cooperative Savings and Credit Society seeking the status of their accounts following the Maraga shocker.
A member who asked not to be named told People Daily that most of his colleagues have committed their salaries on mortgages and loans and at the end of the month, a majority take home as little as Sh1,000 each.
