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{
    "id": 230011,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/230011/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 268,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a Motion over which there should be no division in this House. We are talking about the institution of the presidency of this country. That institution should unite all of us. Therefore, whatever I want to say, I want the other side to take it in good grace. It is actually meant to move us together. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not want it to appear as if we are opposing an increase of salary to His Excellency the President. No! However, we are all public servants. We are actually accountable to the people of this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we should look at the institution of the presidency in total. What does the institution of the presidency cost this country? That is how they do it in the United Kingdom (UK), for example. That is why you find people saying that the monarchy is too expensive for them. They quantify, in monetary terms, how much it costs the British taxpayers to maintain the monarchy, and December 7, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4283 the benefit that they get from it. It is the same thing with the Executive. The President, of course, serves a very important function. We should be the last people to ensure that he is underpaid. We maintain all the State Lodges. We have all that there. The President is not going to starve tomorrow, if we say that we want to have a comprehensive review of how we remunerate him. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when you travel out of this country and address the people there, the first thing you will be told is: Members of Parliament in Kenya act like visionaries. They are overpaid. They quote figures comparing with salaries of hon. Members of Parliament in different countries. That is being taken out of context. Therefore, I have a very unpleasant duty to defend hon. Members of this House outside the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is not just the President. We also have other public servants, including hon. Members of Parliament. We need to have a comprehensive review of our remuneration. We will begin with the institution of the Presidency. Why, for example, should the head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) earn more than the President? Why should he? What function is he doing that is greater than that of the Chief Executive of this country?"
}