As the Coronavirus continues to take a major toll on the Kenyan economy, one of the measures that has been taken all around is implementing pay cuts in both parastatals and the private sector. From the president to KQ employees, a lot of people are feeling the pinch.
Soon after Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang and his deputy Yulita Cheruiyot announced that they would be taking a 30 pc pay cut in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that he and his Deputy, William Ruto would be taking take an 80pc pay cut, Since then a couple of people have emulated the gesture and voluntary offered to suffer salary cuts.
All Cabinet Secretaries are taking a 30 pc pay cut, while Chief Administrative Secretaries are taking a 20 pc pay cut during this period when the pandemic continues to ravage the country.
The Country’s Legislative leaders have said that they will take a 30 per cent pay cut to help the government in mitigating the effects of COVID-19. National Assembly and Senate speakers Justin Muturi and Kenneth Lusaka will both take the 30 pc pay cut to aid the Country in the fight against Corona Virus which has since claimed over 19,000 lives globally.
All the 47 county governors and their deputies will voluntarily take a 30pc cut with the County Executive Committee members’ salaries getting slashed by 20pc. Addressing the press Friday, Council of Governors Chair Wycliffe Oparanya said the County Chief Officers and their counterparts under job Group S offered to take 15pc pay reduction while County Directors and officers under job Group R offered 10pc of their salaries.
Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka took an 80pc cut while all KQ workers took between 25 to 50 pc pay cuts subject to their grade. Top managers were also not exempted taking 75pc pay cuts.
Royal Media Services (RMS) has has also notified all its employees of a plan to reduce their gross salary by 20-30pc
Kenyan Premier League side Kakamega Homeboyz became the first team to announce that players will be taking pay a 50pc cuts.
Kenyan MPs, however, have opposed the pay cuts. They are among the highest-paid state officials in the world, taking home Sh1.3 million monthly, taking 30pc from their salaries would still leave the lawmakers with a hefty Sh910,000 every month. “My brother, some of us take home only Sh50, 000 per month. If I was to accept a deduction, then my family will not eat. That is what it basically means,” said one ODM MP citing that most of them are still struggling to service some huge loans they borrowed.
“Some of us have commitments that may not allow us to take cuts. Let the Treasury retain the five percent relief in our income tax,” Awendo MP Walter Owino says.
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