This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Kenyan lawmakers have devised a new scheme to fleece taxpayers, claiming a 'night' allowance whenever they are in Nairobi to attend parliamentary sessions.
According to sources, the 'Domestic Subsistence Facilitation' scheme entitles each MP to between Sh18,200 and Sh24,000 per night, with the possibility of claiming up to Sh384,000 per month.
Parliamentary business is conducted between Tuesday and Thursday, allowing MPs to claim the money for four nights – Monday to Thursday.
On the days Parliament is not in session, lawmakers are entitled to mileage claims calculated on the basis of the distance between Parliament Buildings and an individual MP's constituency.
The new 'night' allowance has been backdated to last month, sparking a major furore from ordinary Kenyans already burdened by the high cost of living.
Already, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has gone to court to challenge the housing allowance on the grounds that MPs, being State officers, lack the powers to decide their own remuneration.
MPs started collecting the new allowance this week, with Protection House registering an increase in the number of lawmakers streaming in to fill out the claim forms.
When contacted for comment, SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich said she did not have any official communication about the allowance and could therefore not comment on it.
