Nakuru spends least on ward reps’ allowances

Kenyan MCAs, like MPs, have been on the spot over huge allowances they draw while in office.

But Nakuru County Assembly members appear to be among those faring well on matters of sitting allowances, a report by the Controller of Budget shows.

The Controller of Budget’s County Governments Budget Implementation Review Report for the 2015/2016 financial year shows that the county spent Sh50.13 million on sitting allowances, paid to the 74 MCAs and the Speaker, against an annual budget of Sh110 million in the first nine months of the 2015/2016 financial year.

The average monthly sitting allowance per MCA in the county was Sh74,267 compared to the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC)’s recommended monthly ceiling of Sh124,800.

Interestingly, this represents a decrease from Sh68 million recorded in a similar period in the 2014/2015 financial year.

In the reporting period, the Controller of Budget reports that the 47 county assemblies in the country spent Sh2.08 billion on MCAs’ sitting allowances against an approved budget allocation of Sh3.71 billion.

The expenditure translates to 56.1 per cent of the approved budget and a decline from 56.3 per cent spent in a similar period in the 2014/15 financial year where Sh2 billion was spent.

Compared to the rest of the county assemblies, Nakuru County was among the lowest consumers of the sitting allowances for MCAs in the period under review.

HIGH SITTING ALLOWANCES

The county assemblies that reported sitting allowance expenditure higher than the maximum monthly recommendation of SRC of Sh124,800 in the reporting period were Busia at Sh202,969, Taita Taveta at Sh172,810, Siaya at Sh166,830, Trans Nzoia at Sh152,044, Homa Bay at Sh148,525, Nyandarua at Sh142,726, Samburu at Sh141,003, Kisii at Sh138,899, Kisumu at Sh134,665 and Vihiga County at Sh134,163.

Kisii County with 72 MCAs had the highest absorption rate of 99.6 per cent after almost exhausting its Sh90.4 million annual budget for the same, spending Sh90 million.

Taita Taveta county with 36 MCAs also recorded a high absorption rate of 96.4 per cent of the sitting allowances having spent Sh55.9 million of its Sh58 million annual budget while the Kiambu County Assembly with 88 MCAs had a 92.1 per cent absorption rate spending Sh72.9 million of the Sh100 million annual budget for sitting allowances.

Nakuru County Assembly Speaker Susan Kihika told Nation.co.ke that Nakuru MCAs only sit when there is business to transact.

“The allowances vary, depending on the number of meetings one attends.

“The saving was possible since our committees sit only when they have business to transact,” she said.

She, however, clarified that the assembly budgets with the maximum amounts allowed by the law which is Sh110 million.

SRC allows MCAs a maximum of 32 sittings per month.

ALLOWANCES PER SITTING

These include 16 plenary sittings and 16 committee sittings from which MCAs draw allowances.

Each MCA draws an allowance of Sh3,900 per sitting.

In House committees, chairmen draw a higher allowance of Sh6,500 per sitting.

All MCAs earn a fixed salary of Sh155,000.

Each is also entitled to a standard commuter allowance of Sh39,000.

Chairmen of departmental committees and their deputies earn an additional Sh23,000 and Sh26,000 respectively as responsibility allowances.

On average, an MCA will take home up to Sh300,000 monthly while those chairing house committees could earn up to Sh350,000.

They are also entitled to mortgage and car loans.

The Nakuru MCAs’s aggregate expenditure on domestic and foreign travel, however, increased by 11.9 per cent to Sh220 million compared to Sh197 million incurred in a similar period in the 2014/2015 financial year.