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Retired CJs, House Speakers get furnished offices and handsome pension package

By JOHN MUTUA January 18th, 2019 1 min read

Former speakers of Parliament, chief justices and deputy heads of the Judiciary will now get fully equipped offices at taxpayers’ expense on top of more than Sh1 million monthly pension.

This follows President Uhuru Kenya’s approval of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018 into law.

The new law mandates taxpayers to pay for the former top officials’ offices and equipment, further burdening workers with costly retirement benefits.

These are officials who served after 1993. “Insert the following new paragraph immediately after paragraph K “office and office equipment’,” reads the proposed law tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS

The new law now requires the Treasury to provide additional money for leasing offices and buying equipment like computers, seats and TV sets.

The law currently provides for retired speakers and Judiciary top staff to be offered personal assistants, secretaries, house keepers, gardeners and cleaners at taxpayers’ expense.

Taxpayers are already catering for the retired leaders’ support staff, armed security guards, diplomatic passports, maintenance expenses for vehicles and access to VIP lounges at all airports.

BENEFICIARIES

Beneficiaries of the plan include former speakers Ekwee Ethuro, Kenneth Marende and Francis ole Kaparo.

Others are retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and his deputy Kalpana Rawal who in 2017 joined the exclusive club of former public servants that take home a monthly pension of more than Sh1 million besides a generous insurance cover.

Kenya has had six retired chief justices since 1993. Apart from Dr Mutunga (2011-2016), two of them, Bernard Chunga (1999-2003) and Evan Gicheru (2003-2011) are also alive.

At least five more former public officers have joined the club of retirees with a monthly package of more than Sh1 million.