Kenya’s president, his deputy and other state officials are set to receive pay rises despite citizens facing deep economic hardship and higher taxes, according to a government document seen by AFP Friday.
They are due to get a 14 percent salary hike over a two-year period, Kenya’s Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) said in a proposal, which will raise President William Ruto’s gross monthly salary to 1,546,875 shillings ($11,000).
Members of parliament will earn a basic salary of 769,201 shillings ($5,400) topped up with hefty extras such as a $54,000 bonus to buy a car and $2,600 per month to maintain the vehicle.
Kenya’s minimum monthly wage is 15,120 shillings ($107).
The salary increases come at a time when fuel prices in the East African powerhouse were set to rise to record highs after the government doubled tax on petroleum products to 16 percent.
Any increase in fuel prices will have a ripple effect in a country hamstrung by a cost of living crisis, with overall inflation at eight percent in May, while food inflation was at 10.2 percent.
