Millions of Kenyans have been outraged by the country's lawmakers' move to seek nearly 90,000 U. S. dollars each as a payoffs when their terms end in December.
The lawmakers' proposed payments come on top of annual packages of at least 140,000 dollars making them among the best-paid lawmakers in the world.
Their move has drawn fierce reactions from cross section of Kenyans including ministers who urged their colleagues to shelve the bid.
"Our MPs are being very selfish. They are showing us that they have a lot of their own interests at heart and care less about the common man who elected them to parliament. Chances are high that they will push for whatever is good for them," said Elsie Muhanda, a hawker in Nairobi.
The move comes as Parliamentary Speaker complained recently that House sessions are frequently adjourned because of quorum hitch and only a handful of bills are passed each year.
"If any of my colleagues feel that this is the best way to get campaign money, and then they better slow down," said National Heritage Minister Suleiman Shakombo.
The minister termed as unacceptable the legislators' plan to award themselves generous perks, noting that nearly half of Kenya's population lives below the poverty line.
Trade and Industry Minister Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi said the move was selfish and was likely to generate condemnation from the public towards the current parliament which has over the time hiked their pay.
"It's selfish and outrageous for us to get severance and gratuity allowance given that this is the Parliament which has benefited most from salary increases," said Dr. Kituyi.
The planned severance pay for the 222 lawmakers will cost the country more than 20 million dollars.
Under the deal senior cabinet ministers, whose pay is hiked by generous allowances and perks, stand to receive as much as 135,000 dollars when they leave office.
"These MPs care only for their stomachs. I don't think they deserve it because most of them have been sleeping even during Budget presentation," said Isaak Ntimpai, a hawker.
"I strongly object because I don't think it is justified. There are a lot of issues these MPs need to sort out for their electorate but they have not done so. The golden handshake is not a priority at the moment. We are going to vote them out," warned Edward Ogallo, a salesman.
The Statute Law or Miscellaneous Bill was brought before parliament on Thursday and survived by a whisker when the country's chief legal adviser, the Attorney-General failed to turn up to move the motion but it would almost certainly have been passed.
The east African nation's lawmakers determine their own salaries unlike in most other countries where pay perks are determined by independent committees.
"The idea of giving severance pay to elected officials who may return to office anyway is simply ridiculous," said Mwalimu Mati, head of an anti-corruption organization in Nairobi. "It is pure unmitigated greed."
"This new move is highly undesirable and bound to cast serious aspersions on the character and motives of the sitting MPs. It is also bound to set an extremely dangerous precedent," a group of religious leaders said in a joint statement.
"Let Parliament allow an independent body, which is credible, to look into the matter. Otherwise you cannot employ yourself and at the same time decide for yourself how much you should earn," they said.
The Kenyan media did not spare the lawmakers of the condemnation with the leading local daily, the Daily Nation newspaper, calling the pay proposal "a demonstration of the contempt with which our legislators hold the taxpayers."
The Nation said in an editorial the move was a ploy by MPs to build up funds for their re-election campaigns.
The rival Standard newspaper called the plan "the most cruel and scandalous act against the nation."
"A walk through our hospitals and schools, on roads eaten away by years of corruption and neglect, just serves to prove that we have been defrauded by MPs whose pay is far much better than that of their counterparts in the so-called donor states."
Last December, President Mwai Kibaki was forced to decline pay hike following public outcry when the lawmakers nearly triple his salary.
Had he accepted, Kibaki would have been one of the highest paid presidents in the world.
But after a public outcry, the president, whose family is one of the richest in Kenya, refused the award.
A section of the lawmakers have defended their perks by saying they frequently have to travel to distant constituencies over dilapidated roads, and are obliged to meet endless requests for cash from constituents.
Source: Xinhua
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