In what is a rare occurrence in Kenya, the people and their legislators have agreed on something: we have too many elected officials, especially the Members of Parliament (that is, Senators and Members of the National Assembly), and MCAs (Members of the County Assembly). These excess representatives have bloated our wage bill to a point where it is unsustainable – we have to borrow to pay bills, not even to develop. This has to change. This week, we explore the possibilities: how can we reduce these numbers? What impact would this have on our country? How do we go about it? Press play!

Resources

Audit calls for reduction of MPs, MCAs

Ouko team wants MPs’ pay cut to below Sh1m

New push to reduce MPs, sack civil servants

Kenya Government Debt to GDP

TSC, Devolution Drive Public Wage Bill Rise

Kenya GDP

Kenya GDP Annual Growth Rate

Each Kenyan owes the world Sh79, 000, thanks to Jubilee’s borrowing

A fifth of Kenya’s budget committed to repaying loans

MPs pay increase raises Parliament wages by Sh2bn

Does Kenya have too many MPs?

Women Contributions in Parliament

The More the Merrier? Choosing the optimal number of representatives in modern democracies

Secondary Education to Be Free in 2019

Image Credit: Tavaana.Org