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"speaker_name": "Mr. Mbadi",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wanted to make a contribution on distribution of resources in this country. In my yesterday's contribution, I mentioned that we need to put more emphasis on development expenditure. I have an example of the roads network in my constituency. If you look at the contribution of the fish industry in this country, it contributes about Kshs7 billion to our economy. Out of that, Suba District contributes 70 per cent out of which Gwassi Constituency contributes more than 60 per cent. If you translate that into monetary terms, you realise that Gwassi Constituency alone contributes over Kshs3.5 billion to this economy. But if you look at the road network in Gwassi Constituency, it is in pathetic state. Why can you not just give me even 10 per cent of what my constituency contributes to this country to develop roads. You will November 12, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3439 realise that the contribution of my constituency towards the national budget would double. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to conclude with a submission that I made yesterday with regard to the enforcement of the law that is already in existence. Much as we come up with new laws, I would request the Minister to make sure that our public institutions that fall directly under the supervision of the Treasury and by extension, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) actually follow the legal framework that is already in place. I cited the example of Capital Markets Authority (CMA), National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and others. These organisations should follow, to the letter, the legal framework that is already in place. If that is done, we will reduce, to a great extent some of the problems that we go through. I would like to conclude my statement by thanking the Minister once again, for the kind of zeal with which he takes his work. You could see that when the Minister stands to respond to questions, he gets applauded from the Back-Bench, which is very rare. I think the Minister deserves that credit. I wanted to mention something about the taxation of the Members of Parliament allowances. I know that this is a hot topic and many of us do not want to talk about it publicly. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it should go down that Members of Parliament pay taxes. It is only that some allowances are not taxable, but we pay tax on our salaries. So, when it comes out in public that our salaries are not taxed, we wonder why we should get this kind of public bashing. Our basic salary is Kshs200,000 and it attracts tax amounting to Kshs53,000 per month. It should come out clearly that hon. Members pay tax on their salaries, but the allowances are not taxable. We need to mention the allowances that are not taxable. They include an allowance like the constituency allowance. If it is that constituency allowance which a Member is supposed to spend on his constituents, if you tax it, then what is the rationale of giving it to me? I would rather instead of getting the constituency allowance, be given the amount of money you think I can spend on my constituency and take away whatever amount of money you feel I do not need. There is also the entertainment allowance. But why should it always be a subject of public debate? I know that members of the civil society and the Press mention that Kenyan Members of Parliament are the highest paid in the world. I do not know where they got those statistics. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, recently, I was in Germany. Even though their economy is superior to ours, they are paid more than twice what we are paid. Where do these people get the statistics they quote? In the British Parliament, what are the Members there paid? I am sure that hon. Members did not increase their salaries. This is my first time in Parliament and I know that even the hon. Members of the Ninth Parliament did not increase their own salaries. The increase in hon. Members' salaries was as a result of a Commission which was headed by somebody who was not an MP. I am told that, that Commission travelled all over the world and collected information on hon. Members' salaries. So, when you see it reported in the Press: \"MPs Shame\", you really get affected. Wherever there is a problem with hon. Members, it is taken that we do not have the interest of this country at heart. Some of us are very young and we still want to make a contribution to this country. We do not want to move around only to be looked at as robbers or people stealing from this economy. If there is a problem, that is, if hon. Members are not performing, let that be put open for debate. We should not just be bashed by the public. I think that is a bit unfair. I wanted to come out clearly on that matter. The reason I am saying that is, I do not want to be a coward. I know that some of us fear talking about this. I would like to be quoted as one of the hon. Members who maintains that we are not overpaid. If we are being overpaid, I would like to be challenged. I would like to know on what parameter that is based upon. Some of us are professionals and even where we were, we, probably, could be earning close to what we are earning today! If I consider all the money that I spend on my constituents, I could even be earning less! However, it is a calling. Being a Member of Parliament 3440 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 12, 2008 is a calling and that is why I chose to contest for a parliamentary seat and I won. I knew beforehand that this is what I was going to get. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I just wanted to remove the fear that is in some of us by saying what the truth is. I commend the acting Minister for Finance for removing the clause on our taxes from the Bill. It would have brought unnecessary tension. We should not play to the galleries! We should tell the public the truth. If these people want to convince me that my constituents do not want me to be paid that money, they should go to Gwassi Constituency and carry out a research. I would like to see a factual and objective research conducted in Gwassi Constituency and Gwassi people interviewed. I would like to see the research report that 70 per cent of Gwassi constituents have said that my salary should go down. I am sure they will be shocked. My people will want my salary to be increased so that I can attend to their many needs that I am always willing to do. Thank you, very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir."
}