President Uhuru denies Raila, Kalonzo pension

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has opted not to sign a Bill that would have granted opposition leading lights a lucrative retirement benefits package.

After wide consultation, the President chose not to assent to a law granting Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka millions of shillings in retirement benefits, a fleet of State-maintained cars, VIP protection and a retinue of qualified employees of their choice paid for by the government.

In a brief ceremony at State House, Nairobi attended by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, Majority Leader Aden Duale and Clerk of the National Assembly Justin Bundi, the President refused to sign into law the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Bill.

The rejection of the Bill is bad news to Opposition leader Raila Odinga, and his co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka who served as Prime Minister and Vice President respectively between 2008 and 2013 – a period for which Parliament wants them rewarded for their service.

It is understood that at the Thursday evening ceremony, also attended by Attorney General Githu Muigai and Solicitor-General Njee Muturi, the President refused to assent to the law because of what the lawyers in the room said was a “vague clause”, and what the politicians insisted was akin to “shooting himself in the foot.”

Those familiar with the power politics and who know what transpired at the State House ceremony, said the President wanted Raila and Kalonzo to quit “elective politics” or forever forego their pension.

“The President did not say the Bill is bad; he wanted it to be very clear that taxpayers’ money won’t be used to fund private political ambitions. The idea is that once they publicly declare that they have retired, they cannot, while on government pension turn around and say they want to vie for a political seat,” said a well-placed source.

Those in this school of thought argued that it will be “political suicide” for a government in power to fund campaigns and the life of an opposition leader who has expressed ambition to run for the presidency. Raila and Kalonzo say they will be vying for the presidency in the 2017 elections.

“Even in the US, a President retires and can never go back and vie again. But they are allowed to campaign for their parties and even support candidates. You can see Bill Clinton, now that Hillary wants to vie, he can support. But Clinton can’t turn around and say he wants to be President again. So Raila and Kalonzo will have to choose,” a President’s aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Other sources linked to State House said the President was also forced to drop the Bill because former Speaker Francis ole Kaparo, who served as the boss at the National Assembly for 15 years, had also written to the President saying he needed to be included to benefit from the hefty retirement perks. There are also reports that some government officials insisted that former Vice President Moody Awori also needed to be considered.

The Speaker and Majority Leader refused to discuss the matter, because they have not received a presidential memo on the matter. The duo who were in a series of meetings the whole of yesterday asked The Standard on Saturday to wait for the presidential memo.

“If the President has rejected the Bill, I expect a memorandum to the House stating the reasons, but I don’t and wouldn’t know the contents of the memorandum,” said Muturi yesterday.

Parliamentary sources said the presidential memo regarding the Bill had not yet been sent to the House, but it was expected as soon as the House, which is on recess reconvenes in June.

ODM’s national chairman John Mbadi (Suba) who successfully sponsored and steered the Bill through the House was equally lost as to the fate of the Bill.

“I was told it went to the President, but so far I have not been told what happened to it. Has it been rejected? I can’t say, because I am waiting for a memo on the same. It is the only way I can know,” said Mbadi.

Parliamentary bureaucrats said the President will now have to send a memo with a prescription of his preferred wording in the Bill and compel the MPs to approve it or if the MPs in the House dominated by his ruling Jubilee coalition feel otherwise, then they can veto the memo and push for the hefty perks for the Opposition duo.

The Bill also prescribed the retirement perks for the Deputy President, the current Speakers of both Houses, and the two retired Speakers Kaparo, and Kenneth Marende. Marende and Kaparo are chairpersons of statutory bodies, and will have to decide whether to remain on government payroll or go home and take the mouth-watering pensions.

Political assault

At a time when the opposition is on a political assault against Uhuru’s deputy William Ruto over a controversial hospital upgrade deal, the President’s move will be seen as starving the opposition of cash, people and resources that will add impetus in its bid to hold the government accountable.

But it will also be great propaganda fodder for the opposition, to paint the Jubilee administration as vindictive.

When the National Assembly approved the retirement perks, the chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee Mutava Musyimi, together with the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich wanted the trio – Marende, Kalonzo and Raila— who served in the coalition government to get the pension and the perks.

“The idea was that these three played a key role in helping the country transition to the new constitutional dispensation,” said Mutava.

Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo added: “We can afford to take care of people who have served this country the same way we take care of President Kibaki and President Moi. We need to give a decent life to these prominent Kenyans who have served us diligently for very many years.”