Wangamati promises Pension to former Councillors

WANGAMATI PROMISES PENSION TO FORMER COUNCILLORS

In Summary;

• The Kabula meeting
• The set-up
• Reference

On Thursday, September 10, 2020, Governor Wycliffe Wangamati held a meeting with former councilors and MCAs at the Kabula Pastoral Centre ostensibly to assure them that their request for a pension scheme has been granted and will be transmitted to the County Assembly for approval/appropriations. He further assured them that he will organize a meeting in a week’s time with the assembly leadership to fast track the process.

Immediately after, he invited the Speaker to the County assembly of Bungoma Hon. Emmanuel Situma and the Coalition leaders who constitute the house leadership in his office. Unknown to the leadership, there were about 20 former councilors in the lounge waiting to be informed of the progress. A short joint meeting was held between the two parties whose resolutions are yet to be made public.

#iKUWEiKUWE take;

• A pension is a payment that’s subject to approval by various Constitutional agencies among them the Salaries and Remuneration Commission(SRC), Commission for Revenue Allocation(CRA), the National Treasury, the Senate, the National Assembly and off course the National Executive. As the governor laid bare his mid-term performance report, it was imperative that he includes this in his address yesterday Friday, September 18, 2020 at Kibabii University.
• Pensions under the Act are calculated according to the contributions paid into the Scheme during one’s service term.
• What I can’t figure out is;
  1. What drives the governor into making these pronouncements?
  2. Why invite unsuspecting, Unprepared County Assembly leadership into the set-up meeting?
  3. Is it a scheme to hoodwink these senior citizens into believing that it’s within his confine to set retirement perks for them?
• A screenshot of Governor’s press communication
• My understanding of article 230(3) of CoK 2010 on the powers and functions of SRC, I can’t cite any provisions delegating any of the aforementioned responsibilities to a County Governor or County Assembly.
• On good governance, the governor scores 25% and this is what will cost him a reelection come 2022, meanwhile as you celebrate, remember… PUBLIC MONEY SHALL BE USED IN A PRUDENT AND RESPONSIBLE WAY and in so doing… THERE SHALL BE OPENNESS ACCOUNTABILITY INCLUDING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN FINANCIAL MATTERS.
• On behalf of other Bungoma County residents, we will expect Governor Wycliffe Wangamati to publicize the administrative and financial report of this event.

• OTHERWISE; #iKUWEiKUWE would wish to inform the former councilors and the public at large that this was just but another PR stunt that was meant to hoodwink them into believing he has those powers but most importantly looking at the timing it was meant to have them grace the Kibabii University event, therefore increasing attendance at the Wanga-3 cerebrations

NOTE; President Uhuru Kenyatta last week DECLINED to assent to an amendment to the parliamentary pension Act, which would have seen MPs who retired between 1984 and 2001 receive a monthly pension of Sh100,000 for life under revised changes to the National Assembly’s retirement benefits law.

The President said a section of the Bill overlooks the mandate of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. Constitutionally, The SRC is mandated with setting and reviewing of remuneration and benefits for all State Officers’.