- Title: KENYA: Rights groups take to the streets to fight MPs new pay
- Date: 9th July 2010
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (FILE) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF KENYA'S PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF LEGISLATORS IN PARLIAMENT
- Embargoed: 24th July 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5SHXNLHIUA7QLO57G6KSD8ICI
- Story Text: Kenyans marched through Nairobi on Thursday (July 8), waving banners branding their lawmakers "hyenas" and "gluttons" in protest against huge pay rises their members of parliament (MPs) have proposed to award themselves.
Protesters blew whistles and danced in the street outside parliament, with some carrying placards criticising the move.
"We hope to convey the message that Kenyans are very angry and very bitter and that this thing cannot just be swept under the carpet. So, with this we hope that they can rethink their positions and they can roll back their efforts to try and increase their pay," said protester Bamgi Ndolo.
As the boisterous but peaceful protesters -- fewer in numbers than the demonstration's organisers had hoped for -- chanted "thieves" outside parliament, police had to escort some parliamentarians into the assembly building.
Many Kenyans have expressed fury that their MPs have voted to adopt a report that would hike their own salaries at a time poorly paid public workers like teachers and police officers are clamouring for better pay and east Africa's largest economy recovers from the global downturn.
"The average citizen is suffering! Our kids are suffering. We will never accept this. I have to say this: if they don't discharge the duties we have bestowed on them then there is no business they will transact in this parliament. Their job can't just be pay increase debates," said protester John Baraza.
Already among the best-paid in the world, some MPs say the fact their salaries are about to be taxed justifies the speedily debated increase.
They have voted to hike their monthly pay to 1.09 million shillings (14,100 U.S. dollars), dwarfing the annual gross domestic product per capita of 57,887 shillings (749 U.S. dollars).
"Kenya may not be the poorest country but it is far from being one of the richer countries. In fact, it has half its population well below the other side of the fence on the poverty stakes. So, really, you cannot justify it in terms of the relative wealth or poverty of the country and in terms of the overall size of the economy and how it is performing," said economic analyst Robert Shaw.
Normally, the next step would be for Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to incorporate the proposed rise into a bill to be passed by parliament.
Kenyatta, however, has already criticised the increase and said there is no provision for such a raise in the 2010/11 budget. But analysts say the legislators could blackmail him by refusing to pass his budget until they get their way.
Critics of Kenya's lawmakers point to live coverage of parliamentary proceedings, which at times shows a distracted assembly. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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