This archive report was first published on 11 September 2019.
On September 11, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta declined to sign into law the Parliamentary Service Bill, 2018, which aimed to give MPs powers to award themselves hefty allowances.
The Bill, which had been sneaked in with amendments, would have taken away the SRC's powers to determine allowances for the 416 legislators in the two Houses and handed the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) powers to review domestic and international travel allowances without consulting the SRC.
However, Uhuru referred the Bill back to Parliament, asking the MPs to delete Clause 20, which would have allowed the PSC to regularly review travel allowances without SRC's advisory, and Clause 43, which sought to hand PSC powers to determine MPs' and Parliamentary staff salaries and allowances.
Uhuru reminded the lawmakers that SRC remained the body mandated to determine salaries and allowances for all State officers.
The proposed law aimed to strengthen MPs' hand in demanding better perks, including a Sh250,000 house allowance and Sh18,000 to Sh24,000 night allowance, as well as facilities like a room for visitors, researchers, and uninterrupted internet connectivity.
