- Title: KENYA: Pay rise protest at Kenyan Parliament
- Date: 31st July 2007
- Summary: (W3)NAIROBI, KENYA (JULY 31, 2007) (REUTERS) CROWD OF PROTESTERS STANDING IN THE ROAD PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS AND BLOWING WHISTLES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORGANIZER, CIVIL SOCIETY TASK FORCE ON GRAND CORRUPTION, ANN NJOGU, SAYING: "Can you imagine you who are fighting to liberate this country are getting arrested. Those ones who are stealing from you are getting guarded
- Embargoed: 15th August 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1QNP700WA3LP8MJ1DWQPLWLU1
- Story Text: Police tear gas demonstrators protesting a proposed pay increase for members of parliament in Nairobi.
Kenyan police fired tear gas to scatter demonstrators protesting on Tuesday (July 31) against plans by Members of Parliament to award themselves big pay rises before December elections.
Dozens of protesters tried to reach parliament, blowing whistles and waving placards denouncing the move to grant MP's another 1.4 billion shillings (20.7 million U.S. dollars).
Ann Njogu of the Civil Society Task Force on Grand Corruption, which organised the protest, said those who were fighting to liberate the country were getting arrested and yet those "who are stealing from you" are being guarded.
"What a country; using our money." she said.
Five leaders of the march were arrested and detained at parliament's police station.
The new bill proposes that lawmakers will receive 12.5 percent of their annual earnings, backdated to January 2003.
The legislators first infuriated the public in 2003 when they quadrupled their salaries in 2003. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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