Mbadi warns MPs against taking pay cuts, proposes donations instead
National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi has warned Members of Parliament against taking pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.
While speaking to Citizen TV, Mbadi said giving donations would make a more significant impact on the country as compared to taking voluntary pay cuts.
“MP’s taking pay cuts is on a basic salary which is less than 400,000 as we speak. 10% of that, let’s say upwards of 400,000 is 40,000, and that 40,000 is usually taken as taxation, so the remaining amount which one would be offering in real sense is 28,000,” Mbadi said.
“Multiply that by 400 MP’s, but then, I would encourage MPs who are buying food for their constituents, and that is something that some of us are thinking of because then if you take the Sh28,000 from me for three months, it is hardly 70,000,” he further explained.
Mbadi added that even without a pay cut, MPs have helped their constituent and have ended up spending more than what they would give as a pay cut.
He gave examples of Embakasi East MP, Babu Owino, and Rarieda MP, Otiende Amollo, as legislators who have donated foodstuffs to their constituents.
“I have seen Member of Embakasi East has brought many things for his constituents, probably that’s his way of taking a pay cut. I saw the MP for Rarieda with several pick-ups, and he has brought food for his constituents,” Mbadi said.
On March 25, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that together with the Deputy President, they would take a voluntary pay cut of 80% with Cabinet Secretaries taking 30% pay cuts.
This was also emulated by Governors and their deputies, Supreme Court Judges, and the Speakers of the Senate and National Assembly.