Sh5.9 billion has been earmarked by members of parliament for their foreign and domestic travel in the next financial year. This nearly doubles the 3.2 billion set aside for the same purpose in the current year.
The amount is highlighted in the estimates of recurrent and development expenditure of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) for the year of June 2019 that was recently tabled in parliament.
Around 1.5 billion will be spent by the 47 senators in foreign and domestic travel, up from Sh 981.4 million in the present financial year, whereas the 349 members of the national assembly are to consume Sh 4.4billion, up from Sh 3.5 billon on the same.
This sum is included in the legislative services and committee services votes, which is mainly expenses directly incurred by MPs while discharging their duties.
The budget was submitted by leader of majority in the national assembly Aden Duale on behalf of the PSC.
To finance MPs and parliamentary staff operations in the financial year 2018/19, Kenya’s will have to part with a whooping Sh 2.55 billion. This will consequently make the legislature the most costly public institution in Kenya in terms of per capita spending.
The PSC has made a proposal to the Ministry of Finance to provide Sh39.34 billion for parliament’s recurrent expenditure and an additional Sh 3.2 billion for development in the year 2018/19.
A bigger percentage of the recurrent budget Sh 23.4 billion will be spent by the national assembly, whereas the PSC which contains the remuneration budget for the senate will get Sh15.9 billlion.
“The gross total resorce envelope (recurrent and development) for financial year 2018/19..is Sh 42.55 billion,” Justin Muturi, the PSC chairman and speaker of the National Assembly in a report as he forwarded the house budget.
The budget proposals show that the Sh3.2 billion development financial plan will be allocated towards the provision on physical facilities and other infrastructure development within parliament.
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