Katiba Institute wants National Assembly, SRC meetings on MPs' salaries disclosed

Katiba Institute has written to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) seeking disclosure of two alleged meetings where MPs' salaries were discussed.

Katiba Institute Executive Director Christine Nkonge, in a letter seen by Citizen Digital, urged Wetangula and SRC Chairperson Lyn Cherop Mengich to make public the details of the two meetings.

Nkonge claims Speaker Wetangula first met with MPs on Monday, and thereafter with the SRC boss on Wednesday.

"I make this request under article 35 of the Constitution and the Access to Information Act...I write concerning two meetings about salaries and remuneration for Members of Parliament," read the letter.

"The first meeting was mentioned by Wetangula during a speech he made before Members of the National Assembly on 19 September 2022."

Nkonge added: "In that speech, Mr Wetangula stated that he had met with the SRC on behalf of the MPs. The second meeting was reported to have occurred between Ms Megich and Mr Wetangula on 21 September 2022. We understand that the MPs’ salaries and remuneration were discussed at these meetings."

She now wants Wetangula and Ms Mengich to compile a detailed description of the two meetings which she believes are of public interest, failure to which the pair should explain any need for withholding information within 21 days.

"Please provide the following documents and information related to the meetings; confirmation that the meetings occurred, convenor of the meetings, attendees, agenda, minutes, other notes taken, resolutions from the meetings and production of redacted or edited information,” wrote Nkonge.

"Should you believe the information requested may fall under an exception to the presumption of disclosure, please provide redacted documents and explain why you believe the redacted material is exempt. Should you believe that entire documents are exempt from disclosure, please identify the document and explain the basis for nondisclosure."