Members of Parliament are getting isolated each passing day over their relentless demands for higher pay. President Uhuru Kenyatta has once again asked the MPs to quit the fight for more money and instead focus on developing their constituencies.
Speaking in Nyeri, where he is on a three day tour, Uhuru told the MPs that they will only get a pay hike if the economy stabilizes and as NTV’s Mercy Juma reports, catholic bishops too are asking MPs to get their priorities right.
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President Uhuru Kenyatta has consistently urged Members of Parliament (MPs) in Kenya to prioritize national development over personal financial gain.
He has expressed strong opposition to any attempts by MPs to increase their salaries, emphasizing that such actions are out of touch with the economic realities faced by ordinary Kenyans.
In 2018, President Kenyatta vowed to reject the Parliamentary Service Bill, which proposed increased benefits for MPs.
He stated that elected leaders should focus on improving the lives of their constituents rather than pursuing selfish agendas. He added that people were yearning for more development and solutions that would improve their livelihoods.
Similarly, in 2013, following public outcry over MPs’ demands for higher pay, President Kenyatta urged MPs to grow Kenya’s economy before asking for a pay rise.
He highlighted that the government’s wage bill was unsustainable, accounting for more than 12% of the country’s GDP, and warned that it posed a serious threat to the funding of important development projects.
These statements reflect President Kenyatta’s stance that MPs should serve the public interest and focus on developing their constituencies rather than seeking personal financial gain.
