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Magelo: Let reps be paid by county


County Reps and other Assembly staff should be paid by the County government, Speaker Alex Ole Magelo proposed on Tuesday.

He said county governments which work hard to collect revenue should be given the leeway to pay its staff well.

“Counties should be allowed to pay salaries depending on their ability to raise revenue,” said the Speaker.

He said salary delays experienced by County Assembly members every month would be dealt with if the Assembly had its own account.

Mr Magelo said it had taken too long for the Transitional Authority (TA) to open a bank account for the Assembly.

“Things are moving very slowly to give us financial autonomy,” he said.

Current salaries are paid through the Consolidated Fund of the National Government. Mr Magelo’s proposal comes in the wake of a rejection of higher perks by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) chaired by Ms Sarah Serem.

The Speaker has been agitating for higher salaries of speakers and reps, saying they were paid less than mid-level county staff.

According to proposals  under the County Speakers Forum, Speakers should take home Sh500,00 up from Sh225,000 while County Representatives’ salary should shoot to Sh275,000 from Sh79,000 per month.

Sitting allowances raised from the current Sh3,000 to Sh6,500.