North Imenti Member of Parliament Rahim Dawood on Sunday, July 7, fronted a proposal to reduce the number of elective seats in the country to reduce the country’s debt and public sector wage bill.
The MP while speaking to journalists explained that if need be, the country should go ahead and hold a referendum to make it legally possible to remove the elected seats including the governor, and excess lawmaker positions.
“I would recommend reducing the number of positions in the National Assembly and the Senate. If possible let’s draft a bill or a referendum to remove these seats including governors’ positions,” he stated.
According to Dawood, these seats have been compounding on the country’s economic woes. He added that the 290 constituencies were unnecessary and needed to be cut down to reflect the country’s financial position.
The lawmaker explained that when the governor’s seats and other county seats were removed, the government should reintroduce mayors to run counties.
“The wage bill should be reduced at whatever cost. While we trim the National Government, we should also enforce it in the County Governments,” he added.
According to the politician, MPs should not receive pay adding that the situation was similar to a church elder who has volunteered themselves to the people.
He also lauded President William Ruto for scrapping some offices such as the Office of the First Lady, the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Office of the Second Lady.
The MP emphasised that he was in support of reducing salaries for MPs so that extra funding would go to development projects. He added that he was ready to get a pay cut if it meant benefiting the majority of Kenyans.
Dawood’s suggestion came in the backdrop of new austerity measures introduced by the Head of State after two-week-long protests conducted nationwide by young Kenyans.
President Ruto on Friday, announced plans to dissolve parastatals whose functions overlap, suspend the appointment of Chief Administrative Officers (CASs) and cut down budgets for some government offices.
Ruto also announced the dissolution of 47 state corporations as a way of reducing the skyrocketing wage bill. The Head of State also banned all state officers from participating in fundraising activities.
These were among the measures announced by Ruto to ensure the country lived within its means and taxpayers’ money was not misappropriated.
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