#Punguza Mishahara
Over KSh 1.5 million a month. Per MP.
A Member of Parliament earns a gross salary of KSh 739,600 a month. Add the allowances, the five separate transport benefits, the subsidised loans and the medical cover, and guaranteed compensation passes KSh 1.5 million — for each of 416 Members. This petition asks the SRC to keep the salary lines, reduce medical cover to standard limits, and abolish the allowances layered on top.
The case
It's more than a monthly salary
Public debate about parliamentary pay usually stops at the gross salary figure: KSh 739,600 a month, made up of a basic salary of KSh 443,760, a house allowance of KSh 150,000 and a market adjustment of KSh 145,840. That alone is KSh 8,875,200 a year.
But the salary is only the published part. On top of it sit committee sitting allowances, a communication allowance, five overlapping transport benefits, subsidised mortgage and vehicle credit at preferential rates, comprehensive medical cover and an end-of-term gratuity. Taken together, guaranteed compensation exceeds Over KSh 1.5 million a month — multiplied across 416 Members of the National Assembly and Senate.
Presented separately, each item can be defended. Presented together, the cost of a single seat becomes a serious question of public finance — in a country where most citizens face high borrowing costs and constrained public services.
This is not a campaign against Parliament. It is a campaign for remuneration that is simple, transparent and fiscally sustainable.
How to read the categories
Salary
Basic salary, house allowance and the market adjustment — together KSh 739,600 a month.
Allowances
Committee sitting fees and communication support, paid on top of the salary.
Transport
Five overlapping benefits: vehicle purchase, maintenance, fixed mileage, mileage claims and subsidised car loans.
Facilities
Subsidised mortgage and vehicle credit at preferential rates, plus end-of-term gratuity.
Medical
Comprehensive medical, dental, optical and family cover provided separately.
The breakdown
Remuneration and benefits
Every line item in the campaign record, grouped by what kind of payment it is.
| Category | Benefit | Amount | Our proposal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary | Basic salaryKSh 5,325,120 a year. | KSh 443,760 / month | Keep |
| Salary | House allowanceKSh 1,800,000 a year. | KSh 150,000 / month | Keep |
| Salary | Market adjustment factorRetained by the petition as part of a simplified, transparent salary. | KSh 145,840 / month | Keep |
| Salary | Gross monthly salaryKSh 8,875,200 a year — before any allowance or benefit below. | KSh 739,600 / month | Subtotal |
| Allowances | Committee sitting — chairperson | KSh 15,000 / sitting | Remove |
| Allowances | Committee sitting — vice chairperson | KSh 12,000 / sitting | Remove |
| Allowances | Committee sitting — ordinary memberPayable separately from the monthly salary. | KSh 7,500 / sitting | Remove |
| Allowances | Special parliamentary duty allowanceKSh 1,800,000 a year, paid on top of the gross salary. | KSh 150,000 / month | Remove |
| Allowances | Airtime / communication allowanceKSh 180,000 a year, on top of salary. Speakers receive up to KSh 25,000. | KSh 15,000 / month | Remove |
| Transport | Car maintenance allowanceKSh 4,278,300 a year — for a privately owned vehicle. | KSh 356,525 / month | Remove |
| Transport | Mileage — Zone 1 (0–350 km from Nairobi)Paid whether or not the full distance is travelled. | KSh 462,887 / month | Remove |
| Transport | Mileage — Zone 2 (over 350 km from Nairobi)More than the annual pay of most Kenyan households, every month. | Up to KSh 1,201,000 / month | Remove |
| Transport | Vehicle purchase reimbursementClaimed in addition to maintenance and mileage. | Reimbursed from public funds | Remove |
| Facilities | Subsidised motor vehicle loanCommercial car loans run at roughly 14–18%. | Up to KSh 7,550,000 at 3% | Remove |
| Facilities | Subsidised mortgage facilityMarket mortgages run at roughly 13–16%. | Up to KSh 35,000,000 at 3% | Remove |
| Facilities | End-of-term gratuity | Per parliamentary regulations | Remove |
| Medical | Inpatient cover | Up to KSh 10,000,000 / yearProposed: KSh 500,000 | Reduce |
| Medical | Outpatient cover | Up to KSh 300,000 / yearProposed: KSh 50,000 | Reduce |
| Medical | Maternity cover | Up to KSh 150,000 / yearProposed: KSh 75,000 | Reduce |
| Medical | Dental cover | Up to KSh 100,000 / yearProposed: KSh 10,000 | Reduce |
| Medical | Optical coverCover extends to the Member, spouse and up to five children under 25. | Up to KSh 100,000 / yearProposed: KSh 10,000 | Reduce |
Source: SRC remuneration determination and Agenda 77 analysis, Parliamentary Remuneration in Kenya Policy Brief (July 2026). Where an item is provided without a published shilling value, it is shown as such rather than estimated.
Preferential credit
Cheap money for them. Market rates for you.
Members of Parliament access subsidised mortgage and motor vehicle loans at preferential interest rates — a financial privilege unavailable to most public servants, and to the citizens who fund it.
A Member of Parliament
Preferential rates
Subsidised mortgage and vehicle facilities, offered well below market cost. The difference is carried by the public purse.
An ordinary borrower
~14.38%
The reported average commercial bank lending rate — before SACCO, mobile or shylock borrowing, which routinely costs far more.
Important: commercial lending rates vary by bank, by borrower and by loan product. 14.38% is an average used for comparison — it is not the rate charged to every citizen. The point is the gap in access to preferential credit, not any single borrower's terms.
Wewe na mbunge
Side by side: you and your MP
Numbers can feel far away. So let's put them in everyday terms — your hustle on one side, your MP's package on the other.
The mwananchi
Anahangaika na rent, fees, fuel na shylock — kila kitu kutoka mfukoni.
Your MP
Gari, mafuta, mortgage, bima na mkopo wa 3% — yote inalipwa na wewe, mlipa ushuru.
| When it comes to… | You, the mwananchi | Your MP |
|---|---|---|
| Your monthly pay | You work for a payslip — and whatever is left after rent, fees, fare and food is your savings. | KSh 739,600 gross every month — KSh 8,875,200 a year — before a single allowance is added. |
| Doing your job | Meetings, reports and long hours are simply part of the job you are already paid for. | Committee sittings are paid separately: KSh 15,000 a sitting for a chairperson, KSh 7,500 for an ordinary member. |
| Getting to work | Fare and fuel come out of your own pocket. Nobody refunds your matatu ticket. | KSh 356,525 a month for car maintenance, plus mileage of KSh 462,887 (Zone 1) up to KSh 1,201,000 (Zone 2) — and the car itself is reimbursed. |
| Borrowing money | A bank, SACCO or shylock charges you 14–18% — or far more — for biashara, school fees or an emergency. | A car loan of up to KSh 7,550,000 at 3% interest. |
| Owning a home | A mortgage feels out of reach: deposit, 13–16% interest, years of repayments. | KSh 150,000 a month house allowance, plus a mortgage of up to KSh 35,000,000 at 3%. |
| Falling sick | One hospital visit can wipe out your savings. Families still fundraise on WhatsApp for treatment. | Inpatient cover up to KSh 10,000,000 a year, outpatient up to KSh 300,000, plus dental, optical, maternity and last expense — for the family. |
| Talking to people | You buy your own bundles from your payslip or biashara money. | KSh 15,000 a month in airtime allowance, paid on top of salary. |
| The total | What you earn is what you get. | Over KSh 1.5 million a month in guaranteed compensation, across 416 Members of Parliament and Senators. |
This is not about hating anyone. It is about fairness. When the person who sets your taxes borrows at 3% while you borrow at shylock rates to keep your biashara alive, when their car is paid for while you fuel yours from your own pocket, when their hospital bill is covered up to millions while one emergency can finish your family's savings — mwananchi has a right to ask: who is looking out for us?
The "mwananchi" column uses everyday examples and a comparison lending rate. Your own situation will differ — rates vary by bank, by lender and by loan product. The point is the gap, not any single figure.
The reform proposal
Keep the salary. Cut the extras.
Not a pay cut for its own sake. A simple, transparent structure: a competitive salary with housing and the market adjustment retained, medical cover reduced to standard limits, and an end to the allowances and privileges layered on top.
| Keep | Benefit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | Basic salary | A competitive salary that protects the independence and dignity of the office. |
| Keep | House allowance | Reasonable housing support, paid transparently as part of the package. |
| Keep | Market adjustment factor | Retained as part of a single, transparent salary rather than hidden top-ups. |
| Reduce | Medical cover — reduced to standard limits | Inpatient KSh 500,000, outpatient KSh 50,000, maternity KSh 75,000, dental KSh 10,000, optical KSh 10,000. |
| Abolish | Special parliamentary duty allowance | KSh 150,000 a month for duties the office already carries. |
| Abolish | Monthly mileage allowance | KSh 462,887 to KSh 1,201,000 a month, paid whether or not the distance is travelled. |
| Abolish | Car maintenance allowance | KSh 356,525 a month to maintain a privately used vehicle. |
| Abolish | Vehicle purchase grant | Like other salaried professionals, Members should buy cars through their own planning. |
| Abolish | Subsidised vehicle loans | Up to KSh 7.55 million at 3% — financing no ordinary borrower can access. |
| Abolish | Subsidised mortgage facilities | Up to KSh 35 million at 3%, against market rates of 13–16%. |
| Abolish | Committee sitting allowances | KSh 7,500 to KSh 15,000 a sitting for work the salary already pays for. |
| Abolish | Airtime / communication allowance | KSh 15,000 a month. Talking to constituents is the job, and should be met from salary. |
| Abolish | Entertainment and similar cash allowances | Discretionary personal allowances that cannot be justified should end. |
What it frees up
KSh 5.2 billion, every year
Abolishing these allowances and privileges across all 416 Members of the National Assembly and Senate would release an estimated KSh 5.2 billion annually for development priorities.
Education
HELB financing, TVET, school infrastructure and student bursaries.
Healthcare
Primary healthcare, medical equipment, essential medicines and rural facilities.
Youth employment
Enterprise initiatives, skills development, internships and innovation funds.
Agriculture
Small-scale farmers, irrigation, extension services and food security.
Social protection
Older persons, persons with disabilities and vulnerable households.
What KSh 5.2 billion looks like
- Roughly 2.5x the current annual allocation to the School Feeding Programme (KSh 3.0 billion).
- A substantial top-up to HELB and bursary financing for university and TVET students.
- Expanded capitation for primary healthcare facilities, particularly in underserved counties.
- A meaningful contribution toward the Hustler Fund's micro-credit facility for informal-sector workers.
The constitutional basis
Parliament already carries this duty
The petition does not ask for anything new. It asks for obligations already written into the Constitution of Kenya to be honoured.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission must ensure that pay for State officers is fair, equitable, transparent and fiscally sustainable.
Public money must be used in a prudent and responsible manner.
Accountability, good governance, integrity and sustainable development are national values binding every public institution.
The ask
What the petition requests
Clear, limited and constitutional.
Retain a fair salary
Keep the basic salary, the house allowance and the market adjustment factor so the office remains competitive, independent and dignified.
Abolish the extras
End the mileage claim, car maintenance, vehicle reimbursement, mortgage benefit, committee sitting allowance, special parliamentary duty allowance and airtime.
Reduce medical cover
Bring medical cover down to standard limits: inpatient KSh 500,000, outpatient KSh 50,000, maternity KSh 75,000, dental KSh 10,000, optical KSh 10,000.
Publish everything in plain language
Require transparent publication of the full remuneration package attached to each office, so no benefit sits outside public view.