The Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria’s move to degazette implementation of new salary structure by Salaries and Remuneration Commission has opened another pandora’s box of legal battle
This is after the several parliamentarians particularly those have legal background coming out strongly to question the salary increment proposals by SRC and what they really wanted to achieve at a time when the country is grappling with economic hurddles and public outrage of joblessness
First, was, Azimio Co-Principal Kalonzo Musyoka who termed the salary increment as an absurd and adding salt to the incurring wounds that the current regime has inflicted and perpetrated to Kenyans by overtaxing them while they are financially unstable
Kalonzo urged all Members of Parliament and Senators allied to opposition to come out ij public and reject the salary increment so that President William Ruto’s administration can be painted black in the eyes of public
However, Several MPs including Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot opposed the salary increment and urged senators to fall suit in rejecting it in totality to resuscitate the Kenya Kwanza Administration from blames and public anger that has led to series of countrywide paralysis of functions
Cheruiyot, who is the Senate Majority Leader rejected the proposals announced by Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), citing that the leaders’ earnings must also reflect the current state of economy.
While making his address at the Senate, Cheruiyot questioned why the SRC has remained silent during the anti-government protests, instead of forwarding solutions that would resolve the country’s economic woes
Additionally, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, while acknowledging party position, also rejected salary increment proposals highlighting concerns about timing and calls for austerity measures
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo aslo rejected the salary increment saying he don’t want pay rise as of now when the country is grappling with economic challenges and state of joblessness to young people
Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna also rejected the salary increment advising SRC to recruit Junior Secondary School teachers same to Kathiani MP Robert Mbui and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi
“We invited SRC to the House, they rold us there is no money to increase for UHC Doctors or JSS teachers but they are quick to increase salaries for MPs to create discontentment. We never requested for salary increment. SRC is abusing it’s own powers to set us up against the public,” Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey observed
Kitui Central MP Dr Makali Mulu also termed the move as an absurd that the government sees it right to make an increment to the salaries of the state officers while our youths are in the streets
“The increment is untimely, ill thought and mis-advised. We stand with the people asking for radical measures and this one of them no salary increment. I reject it’s increment,” Makali Mulu charged
Langata lawmaker Phelix Oduwour stated, “Some things almost look like a set-up. We are in a crisis and the SRC is proposing an increment of 14K. Do they want us to be beaten uo so that they can be happy? I don’t want that.
Lawyers on the other hand have stated that Kuria has no legal basis to degazzete a document which in first place he didn’t gazzette hence terming his gazzettement suspending implementation of new salary structure as a misplaced and just doing social stunt
Kuria had degazetted SRC’s proposals while President William Ruto ordering Treasury and National Planning to review Gazzette Notice by SRC recommending salary increment for state officers