Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has splashed millions of shillings on a new luxury vehicle as a gift to himself for bouncing back to politics after five years in the cold.
The politician walked into a car yard in Nairobi up-market area near Village Market and drove away with a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.
A 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX, in the local market, costs up to Sh5.3 million, while the TX-L version of the same model is priced at just under Sh7 million.
In a video shared by the high-end car yard, he is heard saying that it is his fifth car he bought from the car yard.
“As they say the taste of the body is in eating, and I want to say that I want to start eating by driving,” he said.
The politician, popularly known as the Bullfighter, bounced back to the Senate after spending five years in the cold since he lost the Kakamega Governor race to Wycliffe Oparanya in 2017.
Initially, Khalwale was to vie for the Kakamega gubernatorial seat again in 2022 under the UDA party but stepped down in favour of outgoing Senator Cleophas Malala, who eventually lost to Fernandes Barasa of the ODM party.
Khalwale, who is also the Majority Chief Whip, describes himself as a hustler and the son of a chang’aa brewer, “but I am not poor”.
“Irrespective of where you come from, you can make it. If you come to my home, it is a 5-star home in my village,” he said recently.
Consolidated salary
His purchase comes months after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) abolished sitting allowances, car grants, and transport mileage for Members of Parliament.
This was part of a new review of the remuneration and benefits for State officers announced by SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich on Thursday.
Ms Mengich, however, stated that the salary structure for the MPs, as well as other State officers would remain the same even in the new review; hence the gross pay has been retained.
“The consolidated salary has been deconsolidated and itemised into basic structure, house allowance, commuter allowance and salary market adjustment,” Ms Mengich stated.
In May, MPs pushed for a 62 percent pay increase to Sh1.15 million monthly and an additional Sh2.5 million for the tax-free car grant, opening a new battlefront with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC)
The MPs argued they deserve to be on the same salary scale as Court of Appeal judges, who currently earn a maximum monthly salary of Sh1,156,108.
Each of the 416 lawmakers is currently entitled to a minimum monthly salary of between Sh621,250 and Sh710,000.
The SRC has proposed cuts on MPs’ committee sittings, local travel perks, and car grants ahead of the August General Election.
Lawmakers argue they needed high wages because constituents expect them to provide charitable support. BY DAILY NATION