This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
Kenya's Covid-19 restrictions have resulted in significant savings for the government, with Members of Parliament and judges losing out on Sh1.6 billion in perks over the past four months.
The suspension of meetings and non-essential court sessions has denied MPs opportunities to boost their parliamentary earnings through perks like mileage, sitting, and subsistence allowances earned from foreign travel.
According to Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani, taxpayers will save Sh850 million from perks offered to lawmakers due to the freeze on parliamentary sessions, including committee meetings.
Mr Yatani informed MPs during the review of the national Budget for the year to June that pay savings from the Judiciary will top Sh754.5 million, mainly perks offered to judges.
‘The rationalisation of the recurrent budget has been informed by actual requirement for payment of salaries to the end of the financial year, realising savings of Sh850 million for Parliament,’ said Mr Yatani.
‘Savings are a result of restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 on domestic travel, foreign travel, training, and workshops and reduced activities based on guidelines for working from home,’ added the Treasury Secretary.
Kenya has suspended international passenger travel, closed schools indefinitely, closed bars and golf clubs, and imposed a daily dusk-to-dawn curfew as well as banning public gatherings to curb the spread of the virus that has infected 490 people locally and killed 24 as of yesterday.
Parliament suspended all foreign travel effective March 13 and directed that all conferences, retreats, and workshops be held within its precincts in Nairobi in the wake of the global pandemic.
Committee meetings have also been reduced, save for those that touch on budget and health because they are critical in allocating money and shaping policy decisions in the fight against Coronavirus.
