Chief Justice David Maraga on Friday announced that Judges of the Supreme Court will take a pay cut as their contribution towards mitigating the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The Deputy Chief Justice, Lady Justice Philomena Mwilu and myself will take a 30 percent pay cut for three months,” Maraga said in a statement.
The other four judges of the Supreme Court – Justices Ibrahim Mohammed, Smokin Wanjala, Lady Justice Njoki Ndung’u and Justice Isaac Lenaola have in the same vein agreed to take a 20 percent pay cut for three months.
The Chief Justice said he had appealed to other judges to also make their contributions in order to help Kenyans in their hour of need saying the money raised will be put into direct public interventions to be announced later.
“The Judiciary will continue to monitor the situation and play its part, both through judicial functions and humanitarian activities, in order to help the country navigate through this challenging season,” CJ Maraga said.
The judiciary has joined other leaders who also announced similar pay cuts as the country grapples with the Covid -19 pandemic.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had called on other leaders to join him in volunteering to have their pay deducted after he announced on Wednesday that himself and the deputy president would give up upto 80 percent of their pay while Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries and Principal Secretaries in ministries will have their salaries reduced by 30 percent and 20 percent respectively.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Ken Lusaka also announced yesterday that they each would give up 30 percent of their salaries for the next three months to the coronavirus emergency response kitty.
By Wangari Ndirangu
