Members of County Assembly (MCAs) issued a statement on Friday, April 14, 2023, complaining about their Sh 144,375 monthly salaries, saying they were too low in comparison to governors, Members of Parliament, Senators, and the President.
In their statement, the MCAs demanded recognition and equity in working conditions, as well as matching salaries, while criticising their political colleagues’ large salaries.
“While the role of MCAs is passing laws, being the voice of the voiceless through representation, over and sighting executive leaders of the counties, their work is often undervalued, underappreciated and underfunded,” read the statement.
In addition to their Sh 144,000, Speakers of County Assemblies earned Sh 525, 522 and their deputies earned Sh 216, 563, according to the statement.
They blamed their lower pay on a lack of proper representation of their interests in the face of rising living costs.
The MCAs also lamented about being unable to oversight governors who earned millions in salaries while they earned less than what County directors earn.
“The ward representatives are not entitled to a pension even after serving two terms in office. This is unacceptable and perpetuates inequality in the treatment of elected officials in Kenya. MCAs offices are underfunded, they have neither ward funds nor affirmative funds for nominated members. This hinders their ability to carry out their duties effectively and serve their constituents,” the statement went on.
The MCAs also stated that they were given Sh 109,000 in quarterly ward imprest to cover office rent and three staff members, but that this was insufficient.
Despite the existence of a County Assemblies Forum (CAF), the MCAs demanded the formation of a County Assemblies Service Commission to evaluate their issues, including salary cuts.
CAF is supposed to represent MCAs and county assembly clerks, but the MCAs claimed it had been turned into an exclusive club for Kenya’s Speakers of National Assemblies, with no meaningful achievements in the last eight years.
In comparison to their Sh 144,000 monthly salary, the President earns Sh 1.4 million, the Deputy President earns Sh 1.2 million, Cabinet Secretaries and other members of the Executive earn Sh 924,000, the Speaker of the National Assembly earns Sh 1.1 million, Members of Parliament earn Sh 710,000, and Governors earn Sh 924,000.
These figures place Kenyan politicians among the highest-paid politicians in the world.
County Assembly members are responsible for three major functions: legislation, representation, and oversight.
They are expected to vet and approve county appointment nominees, approve the county government’s budget and expenditures, approve county development plans, and perform any other duties specified in the Constitution.
