by Chris Mgidu
NAIROBI, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday called on newly elected lawmakers to drop their threat to pass a law to award themselves higher salaries.
Kenyatta said the legislators, who won seats in the Aug. 8 election, should drop their threat to amend the decision by the Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) to slash salaries of public officers.
"I swear I shall not sign that law. We should understand that we are called to serve the people, not to earn from them," he said in Nairobi.
The SRC in July slashed the salaries to reduce the burden on Kenyan tax payers as well as tame a ballooning wage bill that is to blame for sluggish economic growth.
SRC Chairperson Sarah Serem said then that the pay cut for state officers will be accompanied by abolition of mileage and sitting allowances to cushion the Kenyan tax payers from inflationary pressures.
A section of MPs-elect warned Tuesday they will not accept salaries lower than those of their predecessors.
Gladys Wanga, a member of the Parliamentary Service Commission, said the move is meant to demean legislators and reduce them to beggars.
Wanga said the SRC team has humiliated them and wants to force them to desperately beg for handouts to perform their duties.
She trashed the gazette notice on the matter and said the commission failed to evaluate MPs' work accordingly before opting for the pay-cut.
However, Kenyatta said it was shameful that the legislators were showing greed even before they are sworn in.
"Be careful because that is the reason why many MPs lost their seats in the election," said the president.
Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto will be affected by the proposed salary cut that will be implemented from September to 2022.
According to the revised salary structure, Kenyatta will earn 10,400 dollars down from 10,600 dollars per month while his deputy will be earning 10,200 dollars down from 10,400 dollars.
The historic pay cut will also affect cabinet secretaries, senior civil servants lawmakers, county executives and ward representatives whose hefty perks had reportedly exerted huge pressure on public finances.
