We must tame Parliament’s greed to ease the burden on taxpayers

It seems Kenyan MPs are unstoppable. Their appetite for higher perks and luxuries is insatiable, but it must now be contained, lest they plunge this country into an abyss of unbridled greed. In their latest move, the MPs have outwitted the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and it seems that in the foreseeable future, nothing stands between them and their bid to raise their income. Although the majority of Kenyans view the MPs’ quest for more money as morally wrong, the Court of Appeal has rejected a move by SRC to suspend the new perks which they had described as illegal.

Consequently, the taxpayers are the losers as they continue to fork out an additional Sh8 billion which will be required annually for the MPs’ allowances. The lawmakers argue that they are underpaid and are entitled to be paid like their counterparts in USA, United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand and India.