Kenyan legislators have been ranked the second-highest paid lawmakers in the world, beating their counterparts from the developed economies of US, Britain and Japan. A study by the UK-based Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows the MPs’ basic pay, which excludes allowances, is 76 times Kenya’s GDP per capita of Sh84,624. The politicians earn a basic salary of Sh6.39 million per year but Kenya’s per capita income is much lower than that of rich countries, translating into comparatively high pay for the MPs. However, the 416 legislators—349 members of the National Assembly and 67 Senators—earn 54 per cent less than their Nigerian counterparts, the global leaders with an annual basic pay of Sh16.5 million ($189,500). The high pay has tended to distort Kenya’s public sector remuneration where the minimum wage for skilled labourers such as gardeners, messengers and watchmen is pegged at Sh8,579 per month. The report shows that four out of five of the highest paid MPs in the world are African, with the top five from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Indonesia and South Africa. British MPs earn Sh9.1 million while their American colleagues receive Sh15.1 million in basic pay annually; which is 2.7 and 3.7 times of GDP per person respectively.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:32:55 +0000
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