MCAs should be satisfied
Demands by the Members of the County Assembly (MCA) to the government to increase their salaries has been a controversial issue in recent years.
Yes, the ward representatives have the right to good pay since they also have personal financial obligations like other employees. Arguing that the current salary is inadequate to meet their needs is normal. But the latest demand is unjustified given the bad economic situation and many Kenyans are struggling.
An MCA receives a substantial amount in salary and benefits such as allowances and increasing them is misuse of public funds. MCAs are among the highest-paid politicians, earning more than what some doctors and lawyers. An MCA is paid a salary of Sh165,000 and Sh5,000 for airtime and Sh39,800 mileage allowance for intra-county travel monthly.
Amid a huge numbers of unemployed youth, whereby more than a third of those eligible for work have no job, and poor state of the economy, Kenyans are grappling with a, high cost of living characterised by a surge in prices of commodities, including food and fuel, aggravated by supply hitches as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian war and weekly demos.
Considering that years of strong economic growth creates jobs, though mostly low-paying, informal and coming at a rate that economists say is too low to absorb the rapidly growing population, the MCAs should be satisfied with what they receive. Increasing their salaries now could strain the country. BY DAILY NATION
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