Former Councillors Make Demands for This

Former representatives of county and municipal councils have decried delay in payment of their pension and send-off package by the government, Kenya News Agency reports.

The councillors, who served in different terms since independence and before devolution, claim that they did not get any sendoff package or pension-like is the case with members of parliament.

The representatives allied to Kenya Former Councillors Association said a task force which was established by the national government should hasten in giving out their report, detailing how the councilors will be paid.

Speaking in Murang’a during a meeting of former councillors from the region, National coordinator of the association Mr. Samuel Muriithi said the government is working out to see if the councillors will get one-time payment as send off or if they will be put under pension scheme.

Muriithi said during their time they used to be paid allowances but not salary like the current members of county assemblies.

He observed that what is under deliberation by the taskforce is to see if the councilors will get Sh.5 million as one-time payment or send off package of Sh. 1.5 million and on top a Sh30, 000  monthly pension.

“During our time we served in municipal and county councils and we brought a lot of development as many towns were constructed out of our efforts. Unfortunately, we were forgotten after devolution took place,” he added.

Accordingly, most building being used to house current county governments and assemblies were built by defunct county and municipal councils.

“Our contributions to the development of this country cannot be forgotten. What we want is send-off package to all those served as councillors before devolution,” he added.

The association which will officially be inaugurated on October 17 in Nairobi, the coordinator, said will help to identify all those served as councillors since independence.

“We want to get a clean list of those served as councillors so as to present it to the national treasury to facilitate our payment,” he further noted.

The former councillors have been demanding to Sh.18 billion from the government as their send-off package.

Chairman of former councillors from Murang’a county Mr. Hebron Mwangi said the Senate accepted their petition and the matter was taken to national assembly which formed a task force of eight people.

He requested the government to consider their petition and pay them saying some of those served as councillors are deceased.