Kenyan legislators award themselves Rwf70m again

Kenyan lawmakers have voted themselves a $107,000 (Rwf67.5m) send-off bonus after their first attempt was vetoed by the president, as the politicians gear up for March 4 general elections.The payoff - at a potential cost to the country of $23.7m (Rwf15 trillion) - was sneaked through by lawmakers late Wednesday, with the vote only coming to public attention yesterday after official parliamentary transcripts were published.The lawmakers, who are already some of the best paid on the continent with a tax-free monthly salary of some $13,000 (Rwf8m), voted themselves a similar package in October, sparking angry demonstrations in the capital.A worker earning the national minimum wage would have to work for 61 years in order to earn the amount the members of parliament voted to pay themselves.However, President Mwai Kibaki blocked that bonus, arguing at the time it was “untenable in the prevailing economic circumstances in the country.”Kibaki holds the power to block the bonus again. Each of the 222 MPs and the Speaker would get Rwf67.5m) as a send-off package when they finally leave office. Less than 30 legislators were present at the time the bill was passed on Wednesday.Send-off voteThe vote was one of the final acts by lawmakers before parliament dissolves on Thursday evening ahead of the March elections, the first since Kenya was rocked by deadly post-poll violence five years ago.The vote sparked an angry reaction among civil society activists.“It is preposterous and in completely bad taste,” said Atsango Chesoni, executive director of Kenya’s Human Rights Commission.“It is unfortunate that this parliament will be remembered for passing pieces of legislation regarded to favour their financial welfare instead of the well-being of the nation,” civil society leader Tom Mboya told AFP.During its term parliament dismissed the majority of wage demands of striking public sector workers, arguing that the funds were not available.