SRC: From President To MCAs, This Is Their New Salaries Plus Benefits

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul, 29 – The country’s ballooning wage bill has been a source of concern for the government for years.

Now, however, in a bid to ‘control’ it, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has come up with a new remuneration scheme to address and resolve some of the existing gaps exploited largely by elected leaders.

First, however, Senior government officials among them the president and the deputy president will be smiling all the way to the bank after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) increased their monthly salaries.

These changes will come to effect after the August 9, polls. The news was made public vide a gazette notice.

While announcing the new remuneration and benefits, SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said that, In the new structure, the new president will have an increment of Sh227,560 while his/her deputy will have an increment of Sh190, 875.

President, Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries, MP, Governor, Senators, MCAs Salaries

As it stands, the new president will take home a monthly salary of Sh1,443,750 while his/her deputy will earn Sh1,227,188.

For the president, this is broken down as, Sh866,250 in basic pay, Sh350,000 in house allowance, and Sh227,500 market salary adjustment.

For the Deputy President, this is broken down as, Sh736,313 as basic pay, Sh300,000 house allowance, and Sh190,875 salary market allowance.

Noticeably, Cabinet Secretaries will have an increment of Sh169, 900, while Secretary to the Cabinet, Attorney General, Principal Secretaries and Inspector General of Police will have an increment of Sh156,075.

As such, Cabinet Secretaries, the Attorney General, and Secretary to the Cabinet will now earn Sh924,00.

This means, Sh554,400 as basic pay, Sh200,000 house allowance, and Sh169,600 salary adjustment.

Principal Secretary across all the ministries will receive Sh765,188 per month inclusive of Sh459,113 as basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance, and Sh156,075 salary adjustment.

At the devolved unit, County Governors will receive a gross monthly pay of Sh924,000 that includes Sh554,400 as basic pay, Sh200,000 house allowance, and Sh169,600 salary adjustment.

Their deputies will earn Sh621,250 a month, which includes Sh372,750 in basic pay, Sh100,000 house allowance, and Sh148,500 salary adjustment.

County Executive Committee (CECM) will receive Sh404,250 which includes Sh242,550 basic pay, Sh80,000 house allowance, and Sh81,700 salary adjustment. 

Meanwhile, the Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate will each get Sh1.16 gross pay per month. This includes Sh696,000 in basic pay, Sh250,000 in house allowance, and Sh214,000 in salary market adjustment.

This is exclusive of commuter allowance.

Their deputies will each pocket Sh928,000 gross pay per month – Sh556,800 basic pay, Sh200,000 house allowance, and Sh171,200 salary market adjustment.

Also, the leader of majority and minority in the two houses will get Sh768,000 monthly gross pay that includes Sh460,800 basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance, and Sh157,200 salary market adjustment.

Interestingly, a committee chairperson is set to be paid a sitting allowance of up to Sh15,000 that should not exceed Sh240,000 per month while their deputies will receive Sh12,000 per sitting up to a maximum of Sh192,000 per month.

A committee member will receive Sh7,500 per sitting and up to a maximum of Sh120,000 per month.

Members of County Assemblies will also earn a monthly salary of Sh144, 375.

Though car grants for state officers and plenary sitting allowance for MPs and MCAs have been abolished, MPs appear to have received a marginal pay rise.

MPs have now been awarded Sh150,00 in-house allowances which is a new benefit even as their basic monthly pay has been reduced from Sh532,500 to Sh426,000.

Their plenary sitting allowance of Sh5,000 has also been abolished.

The changes will now see the total sum stand at Sh710,000 as gross salary. This will be fixed scale while an MP is in office unless reviewed by the SRC.

The gross pay for an MP is Sh426,000 basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance, and Sh134,000 in salary market adjustment.SRC defines salary market adjustment, which applies to the other state officers, as a salary modification that takes into account market positioning, and constitutional and statutory principles on review of remuneration and benefits.

The gazette notice dated July 28, 2022, contains the monthly remunerations that will run for the financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25. The notice takes effect on August 9, 2022.

With the abolishment of the plenary sitting allowances of Sh5,000, the government is expected to save at least Sh382.2 million for the 416 members of the 13th parliament.

The National Assembly has 349 MPs while Senate has 67 members.

“A serving State officer and a State officer appointed on or after the effective date of this Gazette Notice shall be paid the monthly remuneration set herein. The monthly remuneration set herein is fixed for the term of office of the State officer, unless reviewed and set by SRC,” read the notice.

At the National Police Service (NPS), the Inspector General of Police Service, and Director-General of National Intelligence Service will receive Sh765,188 per month inclusive of Sh459,113 as basic pay, Sh150,000 house allowance, and Sh156,075 salary adjustment. 

Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Service, the Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Service, and the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will receive Sh621,250 per month inclusive of Sh372,750 as basic pay, Sh100,000 house allowance, and Sh148,500 salary adjustment.

Medical Cover

MPs are entitled to an annual medical cover provided to the suppose, and up to five children under the age of 25 years. This is subject to the maximum cover limit.

This includes inpatient of Sh10 million, outpatient Sh300,000, maternity Sh150,000, dental Sh100,000 and optical Sh100,000.

State officers in the executive of the national government are also entitled to a medical benefit that includes an annual medical cover for the state officer, one spouse, and up to four children below the age of 25 years fully dependent on the state officer.

The cover includes inpatient of Sh10 million, outpatient Sh300,000, maternity Sh150,000, dental Sh75,000 and optical Sh75,000.

Car Loans

With the president being provided with official transport in line with the government’s transport policy, state officers in the executive of the national government will be provided with an official car with an engine capacity of 3000cc.

A car loan of up to Sh10 million and a mortgage not exceeding Sh40 million have been availed to Cabinet Secretaries, the Attorney-General, and Secretary to the Cabinet.

Principal Secretaries across ll the ministries are entitled to a car loan not exceeding Sh8 million and a mortgage facility of up to Sh35 million.

At the National Police Service, the Inspector-General, National Police Service, and Director General, National Intelligence Service are entitled to a car loan not exceeding Sh8 million and a mortgage facility of up to Sh35 million.  

Deputy Inspector, General Kenya Police Service, and Deputy Inspector General Administration Police Service have a car loan of up to Sh6 million and a mortgage of not more than Sh30 million.

At the Nationals Assembly, speakers of the National Assembly and Senate will also be provided with an official car with an engine capacity of 3000cc.

With car grants being abolished, MPs will now instead be provided with a motor vehicle reimbursement of Sh7.5 million alongside a car maintenance allowance that shall be paid at the rate of Sh356,525 per month.

The motor vehicle reimbursement shall be payable to an MP once in a parliamentary term. 

This is expected to enable them to undertake their duties.

SRC also said that MPs shall be entitled to a mileage claim of one return journey per week from the National Assembly in Nairobi to their constituency office at the rate of Sh116.63 per kilometer.

This is for a car with an engine capacity of 3000cc.