KISUMU, Kenya, August 27th- Former civic leaders in Kisumu County have vowed to move to court in order to force the government into paying them their dues earned as councillors after serving for more than two terms.
The civic leaders under the umbrella of the former KIsumu County Councillors Welfare Association said they will move even to the Supreme Court to press for their rights.
“It is wrong for Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to declare that councillors who served for less than twenty years will be placed on the Inua Jamii program, ” said Osidho Nyabede, the association’s chairman.
He further termed the decision as unacceptable since it was not subjected to public participation.
” It is wrong for CS Mbadi to make such reckless statements yet the issue had been discussed and resolved at some other levels while awaiting implementation.”
The civic leaders took issue with former civic leaders from Siaya for attempting to go to the state house over the matter, noting that it is an exercise in futility.
The forum’s chairman said it is wrong to belittle former leaders who served selflessly for the country’s development, as there are leaders in parliament who were once councillors.
“Such people should be the first to come to the defence of former civic leaders “ he noted.
Two years ago while appearing before a Senate Committee, former Treasury CS Prof Njuguna Ndung’u said the process of paying the group Sh2 billion had begun.
“The issue was pending before the cabinet for approval and was to be factored into the financial year ending 2024, ” he told the lawmakers.
Prof Ndung’u had disclosed that the fate of the lot, which served between 1963 and 2012, lies with President William Ruto’s Cabinet.
He further explained that even though the payments were cleared by the previous Cabinet, the current one has to be apprised of the matter and a fresh request made.
“The National Treasury, jointly with the Ministry of Labour, has drawn a Cabinet memorandum for transmission to the Cabinet. Subject to the decision of the Cabinet, the National Treasury will factor the payment estimated at Sh2.6 billion in the 2023-24 financial year budget,” Ndung’u clarified as the lot had demanded a Sh1.5 million one-off payment and Sh30,000 monthly pensions.
In 2021, the then Treasury CS Ukur Yatani rejected the demand citing the shrinking revenues due to under collections by the taxman.
He had said all former councillors who served for more than four terms, about 328, will be paid Sh664,000 each in a one-off payment, while those who served for less than four terms, 11,919, will be paid Sh200,000 each.
However, Prof Ndung’u had told the West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor-led committee that the government would consider enrolling the councillors and their spouses on the defunct NHIF to benefit from the scheme.
He further disclosed that the two ministries, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, will facilitate discussion on the proposal for the inclusion of the former councillors in the universal health coverage under the purview of NHIF.
