Githuguri MP-Elect, Says Kshs 532,500 Pay Would Make him Miserable. Wants More! Githunguri MP-Elect Njoroge Baiya (insert) public service pay and tax views considered similar to overloading a donkey. “Four MPs-elect on Wednesday accused the SRC of setting a salary regime that would put MPs in a compromising position and make them miserable personalities and said they would lead demands for fresh negotiations on salaries and allowances payable to MPs and other elected leaders. Mr Njoroge Baiya (Githunguri), Mr Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga), Mr Oyugi Magwanga (Kasipul) and Mr Johanna Ng’eno (Emurwa Dikkir ) told the Nation that reducing MPs salaries to as little as Sh532,500 was unfair given their job description and that of other constitutional office holders, whose perks remained high.” Kenyans in the Diaspora reading this remark say, “If someone elected MP feels the pay is low they should quit and not keep taxing Kenyans.” Diaspora Kenyans from Githunguri are really angry with Njoroge Baiya who was elected for a second term. They say they will start mobilizing and use Constitution article 104 that states “(1) The electorate under Articles 97 and 98 have the right to recall the member of Parliament representing their constituency before the end of the term of the relevant House of Parliament.” “Based on Njoroge asking for a hefty pay lets also put a hefty request that the Member of Parliament in 365 days or 1 year create jobs for every Githunguri constituency resident aged 18 years to 30 years paying not less than Kshs 50,000.” These Kenyans abroad who are tired of hearing Kenyans have problems because of more and more taxes and fees everyday added to their families say Githunguri with 77,159 registered voters would take barely 4 weeks to get all the residents to recall him. “It takes barely four weeks to get 1 million voters to sign a recall once started.” Discussing and comparing this with the U.S highest legislative body congress member, comparison shows a congress member pay is 10 times the lowest wage of a working person. Kenyans abroad cannot understand what mathematics or economics these 4 legislators are using when they ask to continue the pay of 125 times what a farm worker gets in a month. (Kshs 8,000 x 125 times = 1 million.) To imagine someone like Njoroge saying if paid Kshs 532,000 he will be “a miserable personality,” notwithstanding that when benefits labeled allowances, medical and others are incorporated is mindboggling. Njoroge is already taxing Githuguri working residents close to Kshs 800,000 monthly ($10,000 or $120,000 yearly.) This pay is higher than all the 50 states of U.S legislative members pay. And this is what will make Njoroge miserable in a country where the lowest earner earns an equivalent of $100 a month or $1,200 an year. “Your pay, Njoroge, does not come from SRC, it comes from men and women who work in Githunguri. It is Githunguri residents who are taxed so you get paid to represent them in Parliament. If the pay is little then quit, Githuguri people can choose someone else from the 77,158 remaining persons.” The job description of MP is, “representative of people,” not, “Taxer in chief or Celebrity.” Indeed, if Njoroge wants to be paid an extra Kshs 500,000 he should call 5,000 Githunguri farmers to Githunguri stadium and tell them, "I wants a pay increase that will be enacted through VAT, Fuel Tax and Excise taxes that will raise the prices of food or consumer commodities so each family in Githunguri is taxed Kshs 1,000 more a month to pay me. The Kshs 532,000 is very little. It will make me miserable." The new constitution requires legislators to represent the people’s wishes not personal wishes. Constitution Article 201 1 (a) there shall be openness and accountability, including public participation in financial matters. President-Elect Uhuru Kenyatta has already said that the Kenya wage bill is unsustainable. Yet, 4 MPs have started organizing how to keep increasing the wage bill or simply taxing Kenyans. This time around we have Constitution 104 and we too are organizing and any Member of Parliament who signs the budget that pays themselves the money will be recalled. To show sustainability a Kenyan from Githunguri tells this story, “Police officer Duncan of Githunguri region would find a person beating a donkey pulling an excess load. He asked the person to untie the donkey and the person to pull the cart and receive the same beating.” He adds, “These MPs have made our parents, families and us the “Donkeys,” to keep taxing to pay themselves. It is us who fill the most pain. As they tax more and more we keep sending more and more. What Njoroge is advocating for is overtaxing the Githunguri farmers, our parents and families until a point where farm products taken to the market don’t make any money.” Many Kenyans joining this discussion aired views like: “It is a shame a Members of Parliament given a salary of over half a million would say this is little, when thousands living in slums do not even have an income, are not assured food and thousands in their constituencies don’t even have a way to make a living or educate their children! If the job pays too little, Njoroge should not take the job. Like Dida in the debate said, the salaries of MPs should be brought down to Kshs 100,000! Indeed the salaries of MPs should be lower or equal to a Doctors pay and a University professor. If anyone can’t manage with this pay they can go to the private sector and make their money there!” Currently the Kenya Government System is the only system in the World where a State officer is paid over 150 times the lowest income made by a working citizen in that nation. All the other nations of the World are 50 times or lower. Rather than the 4 MPs, accuse SRC, they should call Nation Media to a public dicussion like the constitution requires. The four members of parliament can call a meeting at Kamukunji grounds and suggest a tax increase equivalent to Kshs 208 million so the 416 members of parliament can be paid Kshs 1 million monthly pay for Kshs 500,000 will make then miserable. They should then explain to Kenyans to accept the tax increases in food or consumer products like Unga Kshs 2 increase and others. Then ask the Kenyans to clap and cheer to affirm it is okay. The least someone who earns their pay from 8 hours of hard work as Jua Kali is entitled through the constitution is a direct statement from their representative from the MP before dipping inside their pocket to take money. Njoroge should go to Githunguri and ask the people of Githunguri to pay him Kshs 1 million for they sent him to Parliament and are the ones who pay the taxes that pay his salaries. SRC job is not to tax Kenyans but to distribute the money taxed to run a Government system. It is Kenyans responsibility to decide on how much they will be taxed through their Representatives votes in parliament and hold them accountable with the Recall.