File image of Ahmednassir Abdulahi
Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has weighed in on President William Ruto’s directive to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to halt salary increments on senior state officers.
The senior Counsel in a tweet on Monday July 3 stated that SRC is an independent commission and does not take orders from the President.
Ahmednassir also said while they might be of different opinions about their pay rise, the only option for them is to donate their salaries.
“SRC is an independent Constitutional Commission that fixes salaries and benefits for all GOK employees including the President, his deputy, cabinet and judges.
“It doesn’t require their concurrence when it adds or reduces their salaries. For instance if the President and his deputy are philanthropic enough (in the words of Speaker Keneth Marende) they can give the increment to charity. But they have no powers to countermand the commission,” he stated.
His remarks come days after President Ruto said that top government officials will have to wait longer before their salaries are increased.
“The state officers, myself, my deputy, ministers, PSs na wale wadosi wengine wa bunge, sisi mambo yetu tungojee. Hiyo mshahara itakwama hapo. I have instructed the SRC to give us international best practice because we need to reduce the gap between all of us who work for the people of Kenya,” he stated on Friday last week.
The President’s sentiments were echoed by DP Rigathi Gachagua who even dared the CSs to resign if they are angered by the move to block their salary increase.
“If there is a Cabinet Secretary who is not happy with the halting of the salary increment, write a resignation letter and we will look for someone else who will accept that salary,” said Gachagua on Saturday.
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