Speaker approves Namwamba’s motion on pay cut for top earners in public sector

ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba (right) addresses the Press yesterday.

An ambitious motion seeking to reduce by half salaries of top public officers to tame the soaring wage bill has been filed in Parliament.

If the motion by Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba is passed by the National Assembly, the President, deputy president, Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, MPs, senators, governors and their deputies, the two speakers of Parliament and the clerks of the Houses will immediately have their basic salaries slashed by 50 per cent.

The motion also pursues other drastic austerity measures including reduction of the number of counties and constituencies to cut down on the bloated figure of elected representatives drawing hefty perks.

Also, the motion advocates the abolishing or slashing of allowances enjoyed by the top officials among other measures to check wastage in Government.

Also targetted for the salary cut that Namwamba says is meant to control the runaway public wage bill are members of constitutional commissions, chief executive officers and directors of parastatals, judges, and county government officials including MCAs, speakers of county assemblies, clerks, county executive committee members and county chief officers.

Namwamba yesterday said the bold move, while it would be unpopular especially among those targetted, was precedent setting and necessary to check the ballooning wage bill and also address the "immoral" salary disparities enjoyed in public service.

"I am not under any illusion that this motion will be a popular one, but let it serve as a challenge to the leadership of this nation that we need to demonstrate leadership and stop rhetoric. I hope I will be supported on this move," said Namwamba, who is also opposition party ODM's secretary general.

Apart from taking the basic salary cut, Namwamba is also targetting the hefty allowances paid to public officers, proposing in his motion that has been approved by Speaker Justin Muturi, that the sitting allowances earned by the officers be abolished, while also calling for the slashing of mileage claims, travel allowances and other related subsidiary income earned by top earners.

Namwamba complained that the wage structure in Kenya was greatly imbalanced "with a tiny minority at the apex enjoying monstrous high packages while the vast majority in the lower echelons earns a pittance".

The legislator is not only targetting the finances earned by the top earners but further proposes the reduction of representation numbers in the National Assembly, Senate and county assemblies.

The MP's motion proposes the formation of a Public Wage Review Committee, with three members from the National Assembly, two from Senate and one each from the Treasury and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to oversee the harmonisation, restructuring and balancing of the wage structure.