Former representatives of county and municipal councils have decried delay in payment of their pension and send-off package by the government.
The councilors, 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 Councilors 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 councilors from the region, the National Coordinator of the Association Samuel Muriithi said the government is working out to see if the councilors 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 sendoff package to all those served as councilors 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 councilors since independence.
“We want to get a clean list of those served as councilors so as to present it to the national treasury to facilitate our payment,” he further noted.
The former councilors have been demanding to Sh.18 billion from the government as their sendoff package.
The Chairman of former councilors from Murang’a county, 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 councilors are deceased.
By Bernard Munyao
