Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (CHRD) has dismissed recent calls by Members of the County Assembly to have their salaries increased.
The MCAs have also demanded several other benefits, including an allocation of bodyguards as it is the case with Members of Parliament.
But according to CHRD Director Kipkorir Nge’tich, the demands are unreasonable.
In an interview with Uasin Gishu News, Kipkorir termed the MCAs’ demands as political conmanship.
He challenged Kenyans to stand up against the ward representatives in their latest quest.
“We reject the demand that MCAs’ salaries be increased. When they ask for an increase at a time the country is facing economic difficulties, it clearly shows they want to take advantage of Kenyans. This is clearly political fraud,” Ng’etich said.
The activist noted that should the request be granted, the burden will be passed down to the common mwananchi through increased taxation.
“We asked Kenyans that they stand up and reject these demands. Once the salary is increased at this time, where will the money come from? Who will bear the burden? It is the common mwananchi, and not them,” said the CHDR director.
MCAs salary increase demand
The MCAs recently demanded that their salaries be increased from Ksh86,000 to Ksh390,270 per month.
Their demand is based on an argument that their salaries should be 40 per cent of what Governors earn.
Currently, their salary is 16 per cent of that of the county bosses.
“We are underpaid yet during elections we are the ones campaigning for those other people vying for elective posts. We are the leaders at the grassroots and it is demoralising that we are unable to address the problems faced by the voters since we have no funds and we earn peanuts,” Kinanie MCA Francis Wambua told journalists recently.
The MCAs have since threatened to reject county budgets – effectively crippling operations – should their demands fail to be looked into.
