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"id": 47413,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/47413/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kiunjuri",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Public Works",
"speaker": {
"id": 175,
"legal_name": "Festus Mwangi Kiunjuri",
"slug": "mwangi-kiunjuri"
},
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also stand to support this very important Bill. I congratulate the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs for the good work he is doing. In fact, I believe it has taken him a lot of time to bring these Bills in good time. This Bill is so important to us, especially when we look at the state we are in today. Already, we have no way. Parliament is struggling to cushion Kenyans against inflation and cost of living. The major reason why we are trying to do this is because we have completely neglected our workers. If you look at the salaries we are paying our own workers, and not just Government workers, they are regrettable. That is why it is important that when we read this Bill--- Kenyans and Members of Parliament must understand it, and the interpretation in Article 2 of Part I â Preliminaries - clearly. The interpretation includes the ordinary, basic or minimum wage or pay and any additional emoluments whatsoever payable directly or indirectly, whether in cash or in kind, by an employer to an employee - this is very important â and arising out of the employment of that employee. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some people out there are thinking that we are coming up with this Bill just to cushion the Government and we are looking at the civil servants only. It must be noted that this is an extension even to some of us who have that habit of not paying our workers very well. You will get even people who are really prominent paying their gardeners Kshs2,000 and employing house assistants who they cannot even pay Kshs5,000. This is the case and yet they are capable of doing that. Their drivers are also mistreated. This should go to an extent that those who employ our people in Industrial Area--- The manufacturers in this country must know that this Bill also targets them. They must know that they better start working now on the wages of our people. It should be very clear that it touches on every level of employment and any employer. We need to know the general rule that from today henceforth as we pass this Bill, we should be responsible and follow the law to the letter so that we can have our people properly facilitated. This will enable them to take their children to school and put food on the table. It is regrettable that as much as we look at the Government as the worst employer, you will realize that the Government employs even less than 20 per cent of our population. Who employs the rest of these people? If you look at the people we employed directly; those who work in our shops and in the matatu sector, you will find that all these people are now covered by this Bill. That is why I am very happy because for the first time, we will end the era of exploitation so that every Kenyan wherever he or she works is properly protected. Secondly, the habit of waking up one day, you think that Kenyans are not protected by any law and do whatever you want will be a bygone if we pass this Bill. It is also important when we come to the Government. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wonder why the salary of a public servant should be less than that in the public sector to an unimaginable figure. You will get a Chief Executive Officer in the private sector earning Kshs1 million while a Permanent Secretary earns Kshs200,000. Those people have the same qualifications. I want to give a good example. When I worked as an Assistant Minister, Ministry of Energy, we had difficulties to recruit people in the civil service because all of them had gone away. They left the service for greener pastures. Where did they go? Most of them left the Ministry of Energy to go and work for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). Others left for the Energy Regulatory Board and other sectors related to energy. Others went to Geothermal Company Ltd. Why should you pay a person who does the same job I do five times the salary I earn? We demoralize these officers. The same applies to every other Ministry. For example, in the Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, why would you pay a legal officer at the KPLC or the Kenya Pipeline Company or any State corporation over Kshs500,000 when you pay the State Law officer who serves in the Attorney-Generalâs Office Kshs30,000? This is the case and yet they went to the same school. It is only that this guy was lucky and when they went for the interviews, he passed or it is because he is related to Mr. Kiunjuri that he got the job while the other one did not. We must make sure that Kenyans earn what they have been able to work for, otherwise, it really discredits these officers. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in this Parliament, when the officers who are our drafters left the Drafting Section at the Attorney-Generalâs Chambers, they were paid almost ten times what they earned in the Attorney-Generalâs Chambers. This is the case and yet they have the same qualifications. It is a shame to this country. We must motivate our Kenyans. Let every Kenyan go to school; let them put all the effort they have knowing that they will be paid properly. Yesterday, I had a meeting with head teachers from one of my districts and a serious issue was raised. You want a person to be the head teacher of a primary school but you do not want to treat this guy as a manager. However, when it comes to other departments; when you employ a person in the Civil Service or other sectors of the Government, you really distinguish clearly who is a manager and who is at what level. You expect this head teacher to go and perform the same responsibility with other teachers in the classroom; you allocate him the same number of lessons and you expect him to run the school. How will this person be distinguished from others that he is supposed to be the manager? So, we shall look at this Bill clearly so that, at least, even if it is other relevant laws, we should make sure that Kenyans earn according to their input. If I am a head teacher today, I will be proud of being a head teacher. That pride can only come through remuneration. How much do you pay me to do this job? This will ensure that we do not blame them for not being responsible for their own schools. It happens to principals and not only to teachers and other sectors. How do you expect a teacher who earns a salary that is only enough to pay his debts for all of his life to go to class and give attention to the pupils or students? Those are some of the areas that are very sensitive and we must look at them critically. When we discuss their salaries, we must put into consideration the magnitude, their weight in the society and what they can produce for us. Equity and fairness is very important. We should have this Commission that should be ready, at any given time, to sit down â and that is why, for me, I would propose that they be full time--- This is because by the end of the day, the first Commission will be too busy. By the end of the day, we are talking about issues of inflation and we do not know what will happen in the next five years. We do not know which other country the Americans will invade and the fuel prices will go up. It is important that we set up a commission that can sit down at any given time and cushion Kenyans in case of any emergency. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also important that we have a Commission that will be able to work according to this Constitution. I hope that the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs will bring other laws--- For example, Article 162 of the Constitution is very clear. This is the Article that will back up this Bill and without that Article, we will work in futility."
}