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"id": 19504,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/19504/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Musila",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Defence",
"speaker": {
"id": 94,
"legal_name": "David Musila",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity. I want to say that I support this Bill for one reason. For many years I have been very concerned about the manner in which the Government administers pensions for the public service. This House will recall that during the last Parliament I sponsored a Bill in this House to amend Sections 19 and 16 of the Pensions Act, Cap.189. Hon. Members are aware that most of their time has in the past been spent sorting out issues of pensioners, issues of those who do not receive their pensions on time and also dependants’ pensions. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, even as I speak today, the Government has not fully implemented the provisions of the amendments which we made six years ago in relation to when pensions should be paid. This is about Section 16 of Cap.189. Many delays occurred after public officers retired and it was not possible for them to access their pensions. We effected this amendment to say that those public officers who could not be paid their pensions were entitled to be retained in the public service until such a time that their pensions were available. To date, we still have hundreds, if not thousands, of pensioners who retired, have not accessed their pensions and are not retained in the payroll. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I recall, if I am not mistaken, that you have also been very concerned about this matter, because you similarly sponsored some amendments to the Pensions Act. Also in relation to dependants, we had said that where delays occur and dependants are not paid their dues within 90 days, the monies to be paid to dependants as pensions would be paid with interest accrued. I am sorry to say that to date the Public Trustee is holding billions of shillings belonging to dependants, which have not been paid. I think this Bill, therefore, makes an attempt to improve the administration of pensions. But I dare say that it is only going to improve the pensions for officers from now henceforth because they will be contributing. I would like the Minister, when responding to assure this House that provisions of Sections 16A and 19A of the Pensions Act are going to be implemented to the letter, and that public officers will be given their dues on the date they go home, failing which they will be retained in the payroll. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, similarly, the provisions of Section 19A which say that dependants’ pensions should be paid within 90 days, failing which payments should be accompanied by interest, should be adhered to. The Minister should assure this House, when responding, that the provisions of these two very important amendments, which were made by this House, are going to be adhered to. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, one very important provision which this Bill does not address, and which I would like the Minister to address, is the one on public officers who retire and they continue to earn pensions calculated using very old formulas which make sure that those who retire early with lower salaries continue to get very low pensions. I have very many examples. We have public officers today who retired a long time ago, even up to the level of Permanent Secretaries, and their pensions are no more than Kshs5,000 per month. We have Permanent Secretaries retiring today earning pensions of more than Kshs100,000, yet they did the same job. Therefore, we must go along with what other countries do in the world. As you increase the remuneration of public servants who are serving, you also increase the pensions of those who retired a long time ago, so that their income is at the same level as the current cost of living. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I say this because we have very many public officers who retired a long time ago and today they are living as paupers. They cannot afford house rent. They cannot even afford electricity bills because their pensions are as low as Kshs5,000, yet they were Permanent Secretaries and Provincial Commissioners. This is an anomaly that must be changed; unless it is changed, we will continue to have public servants who serve and at the end of the day they live very poor lives, yet we expect them to live in the dignity in which they lived when they served. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think this is very important; even as we now go into the new regime of pension administration, which is going to be contributed by public officers, we must not lose sight of those public officers who served this nation many years ago, retired and today they are living in very difficult conditions because their pensions are very low. I cannot over-emphasise this matter. I have spoken about this matter on the Floor of this House but the Government appears to do nothing. I have looked through this Bill and I cannot see anywhere, where it addresses the issue of old pensioners – people who served this Republic loyally for many years, yet today they are living poor lives because they earn peanuts as pension, while their counterparts who are retiring today are living quality lives. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think this is so important to me and many Kenyans. They expect that if a judge of the High Court retired 20 years ago he should be living the same life as the judge of the High Court who retired yesterday. We do not want a situation where a judge, Permanent Secretary, other public officer, or whoever, is earning nothing because he simply retired a long time ago, yet that one who retired today is earning different amount. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, so, I am emphasizing this because it is an anomaly. It is something that is not practised internationally. The Government must, therefore, adjust pensions as it adjusts the salaries of serving public officers. This will ensure fairness. With these few remarks, I support."
}