Why Kenyan MPs Are Facing Salary Delays

In summary:

• MPs and Senators may have to wait until 11th April to receive their salary.
• Normally, they receive their pay between 26th and 30th of every month.

On 5th May, 2021, economist Ephraim Njega took to Facebook lamenting at how MPs were approving more government debts without caring about the consequences that could arise.

Njega clearly explained that MPs were only going to act after the outcome of their actions directly hit them.

“It is only MPs who can change the situation we are in. They are the only ones who can say no to this reckless borrowing.”

“MPs can only act on debts when their salaries and CDF cannot be paid. Before then we are on our own,” reads Njega’s post in part.

Njega’s foreshadowing of the dire consequences of poor economic policies has come to pass.

It has now emerged that MPs have been forced to grapple with delayed salaries even as the Kenyan economy continues to deteriorate.

Normally, members of the August House receive their pay between 26th and 30th of every month. However, they will have a long Easter Holiday and the earliest they may get their pay will be 11th April.

A section of MPs drawn from both the opposition and the ruling pacts revealed to the Standard that the delay was occasioned by lack of enough funds in treasury coffers.

Further, Kenya’s economy is taking a plunge that has been brought about by inability of the taxman to collect enough revenue, a weakening currency and pressure to meet tax obligations.

Recently, counties have lamented on the delays in having treasury disburse funds to devolved units. Potentially, crucial devolved functions such as health and agriculture could be hardly hit.

On a positive note, other civil servants  from the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC), National Police Service (NPS) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) had their salaries disbursed early.