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MPs eye Sh43.6bn budget
It will cost the taxpayer Sh43.63 billion to finance operations of MPs, senators and parliamentary staff in the next financial year, according to estimates tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon by Majority Leader Aden Duale.
The allocation will ensure Parliament sufficiently oversees use of public resources at the national executive that will control at least Sh1.9 trillion, as well as counties’ Sh310 billion in equitable share from the national government and the Judiciary’s Sh17 billion.
The allocation will also enable Parliament to facilitate enactment of laws that are key for the Big Four agenda on affordable housing, Universal Health Coverage, food security and manufacturing, that has been allocated Sh450 billion.
Parliament will also consider motions, statements and petitions.
CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE
A breakdown of the estimates has gross recurrent estimates at Sh40.56 billion and the development budget at Sh3.07 billion.
The PSC has two distinct votes, with the National Assembly getting a huge chunk of Sh26.79 billion and the PSC, which includes the Senate, getting Sh13.77 billion. This adds up to the Sh40.56 billion.
The estimates have taken cognizance of the need to facilitate MPs in achieving their constitutional mandate as well as promoting parliamentary democracy,” National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, who is also the PSC chairman, said.
The allocation will come to pass only if Treasury accedes to the estimates by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), which is in charge of the welfare of MPs, senators and Parliament staff.
In the 2018/19 budget, the PSC sought Sh42.55 billion but ended up getting Sh36.8 billion, which was further reduced by Sh5 billion as the government slashed its budget by Sh55 billion in September, following doubts over the projected revenue collection.
TRAVEL
According to the proposals, Sh7.61 billion will cater for domestic and foreign travels of the 416 lawmakers – 349 in the National Assembly and 67 in the Senate.
The travel allocation, an increase from the Sh5.6 billion in the current financial year, is contained in the legislative and committee services votes.
About Sh6.8 billion will be paid to MPs as allowances for being in the plenary as well as attending committee meetings, an expenditure that directly incurred by MPs while executing their legislative mandate.
According to a Gazette notice of July 2017 by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), a committee chairperson is entitled to Sh15,000 when presiding over committee sittings, vice chairperson Sh12,000 and committee members Sh8,000 before tax.
SPEAKERS
The office of the National Assembly Speaker has been allocated Sh172 million in domestic and foreign travels and expenses including hospitality, a reduction from the Sh205.6 million in the current financial year.
The Senate Speaker is set to spend Sh148 million, up from the current 115 million, in domestic and foreign tours.
For the purchase of vehicles and furniture, Sh365 million has been allocated to the National Assembly and Sh215 million to the Senate.
The estimates further indicate that compensation for parliamentary employees will take up 49 percent of the total amount allocated.
It comprises of personal emoluments – salaries, allowances and various contributions to social security funds and schemes.
Use of goods comes second with 38 per cent while other recurrent, grant and transfers take up 13 per cent and one per cent respectively.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The estimates show that Sh3.1 billion will cater for physical facilities and infrastructure development within Parliament.
Currently, Parliament is constructing a Sh5.8 billion multi-storey office complex for the 416 members of the National Assembly as well as senators.
The project that is 65 per cent complete includes offices space for parliamentary committee meetings and 400 parking spaces for MPs’ and parliamentary staff vehicles.
The construction of the Sh100 million tunnel to link the main Parliament buildings, county hall, Continental House – the current office building for MPs – and the new complex is also under way.
The PSC is also set to acquire and refurbish additional office space for its members and staff.