Wabunge Kulipwa kiasi cha TSh160m wakivunja bunge mwishoni mwa 2015

Bungeni

 The amount has more than tripled from 2010, when the pay-off was first raised to Sh43 million. By the time Parliament is dissolved ahead of the 2015 General Election, each of the 357 MPs will have collected Sh117 million more than those who served in the last Parliament.PHOTO|FILE

Dar es Salaam. Members of Parliament will pocket a whopping Sh160 million each in a record send-off package approved by the treasury last year. The MPs gave themselves a 272 per cent raise in gratuity, raising the lump sum paid to each member at the end of every term from Sh43 million.

The Citizen has learnt that some of the MPs have already taken more than half that amount in loans as they await the end of their term in 2014. The MPs have in the recent past come under public criticism for developing an appetite for more pay and allowances.

Their new earnings will rival only those of their Kenyan counterparts who, in 2012, secretly voted to take home more than Sh164 million (Ksh9.3 million) in similar gratuity payments.

The move by the Kenyan MPs came after a bitter public campaign saw former President Mwai Kibaki veto a proposal for new salaries that would have made them the highest paid in the world. Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is currently $40.70 billion while Tanzania’s GDP is $30 billion.

Yesterday, Finance Minister Saada Mkuya confirmed to The Citizen that the gratuity was indeed raised last year. She also admitted that some legislators had collected their share from designated banks.

Ms Mkuya would not give more details, saying only that treasury had set aside the cash. “I know this matter was approved by the Prime Minister’s office during my predecessor’s time as I was dealing with policy issues,” Ms Mkuya said.

The amount has more than tripled from 2010, when the pay-off was first raised to Sh43 million. By the time Parliament is dissolved ahead of the 2015 General Election, each of the 357 MPs will have collected Sh117 million more than those who served in the last Parliament.

This means that the government--now struggling to raise revenue and mired in huge debts--will have to tax the public more to meet the huge send-off bill for MPs, totalling some Sh56 billion. Along with the gratuity, the MPs earn Sh12 million in monthly salaries. They also benefit from hefty sitting and other allowances.

The Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr Thomas Kashililah, said his office was not involved in determining the gratuity payments. “Bunge is just responsible for the MPs salaries and not gratuity,” said Dr Kashililah. “That falls under the treasury.”

Several MPs agreed that they are now on a much improved gratuity arrangement, allowing some of them to get loans from two commercial banks approved by the treasury.

An opposition MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a member was allowed to draw up to Sh80 million of the Sh160 million from the banks. But she added that she knew of colleagues who had borrowed up to Sh150 million. “I have also borrowed Sh40 million for some projects,” she added. “I know some of my colleagues who have also collected theirs.”

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda was not available for comment.

#Exclusive: Zitto Kabwe baada ya ushindi anasema hizi ni salamu anapenda Wananchi wazifahamu

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Exclusive: Zitto Kabwe baada ya ushindi anasema hizi ni salamu anapenda Wananchi wazifahamu

Retreivedfrom: Millard Ayo January 8, 2014 General News, Siasa 3996 views

Dakika kadhaa baada ya kushinda kesi dhidi ya Chadema Mbunge wa Kigoma Kaskazini Zitto Kabwe alitoa nafasi kwa millardayo.com kuwa chombo pekee cha habari kumfanyia mahojiano. (Exclusive interview)
Yafuatayo ni maswali na majibu aliyoyatoa Zitto.
millardayo.com : Unadhani utakua na amani kuwa Chadema pamoja na haya yaliyotokea?
Zitto kabwe: ‘Kwanza nataka niseme wazi kabisa kwa Watanzania ambao ni Wanachama wa vyama vingine, wasio na vyama na kwa Wanachadema, ushindi huu sio ushindi dhidi ya Chadema, ni ushindi kwa Watanzania wote wanaopenda siasa safi, wanapenda taratibu za utawala bora zifatwe kwenye taasisi zetu, ni ushindi dhidi ya wanaotaka kukandamiza demokrasia ndani ya vyama, ni ushindi dhidi ya Wahafidhina wasiotaka mabadiliko katika vyama’
Huu sio ushindi dhidi ya chama kwa sababu siwezi kushindana na chama changu, ni chama ambacho kimenilea na nimekitumikia kwa muda wangu wote, zaidi ya nusu ya umri wangu ambao nimeishi…. kwa hiyo salamu ambazo napenda wananchi wazifahamu ni kwamba tunahitaji kuheshimu sana demokrasia na misingi ya haki za binadamu.
Naamini maamuzi ya Jaji John Utamwa yataweza kuweka utaratibu, watu ambao ni Wanachama wa vyama hawataonewa, hawatadhulumiwa wala kukandamizwa, watakua huru kutoa maoni yao pale wanapohitaji kufanya hivyo.
millardayo.com : Kilichotokea Mahakamani kitakufanya usiende kwenye ofisi za Chadema?
Zitto Kabwe: Hapana kwa sababu bado mimi ni Mwanachama wa CHADEMA, pamoja na kwamba katibu mkuu wa Chadema ametoa amri ya watu wasinipe ushirikiano lakini pale nitakapohitajika nitafanya shughuli za Chadema, nitafanya shughuli za nchi yangu.
Sasa hivi kuna maswala makubwa kuhusu katiba ya nchi yetu na ningependa Wananchi wajielekeze huko, sijafurahishwa sana na kinachoendelea hivi sasa manake Wananchi wameacha kujadili maswala ya msingi sana ambayo yanawahusu, nasikitika kuona vyombo vya habari ni habari za Zitto na Chadema, nashukuru jambo hili limekwisha sasa kwa muda huu.
Mimi niko tayari kufanya kazi na kiongozi yeyote wa CHADEMA ambae atakua tayari kufanya kazi na mimi kwa sababu naamini swala hapa ni ujenzi wa nchi yetu, ni ujenzi wa taifa letu na ninaamini hata kama nina mawazo kidogo lakini ninayo mawazo kwa ajili ya kuiendeleza nchi yetu.

Matatani kwa kumfananisha Rais na Kiazi

 7 Januari, 2014 - Saa 14:49 GMT

Rais Michael Sata

Kiongozi mmoja wa upinzani nchini Zambia, amekamatwa na kufunguliwa mashitaka ya kumchafulia jina Rais wa nchi hiyo Michael Sata baada ya kumfananisha na Viazi

Frank Bwalya anadaiwa kumtaja Rais Michael Sata kama "chumbu mushololwa" kupitia kwa Redio siku ya Jumatatu. Katika lugha ya Bemba, tamko hilo lina maanisha viazi vitamu ambavyo humegeka vinapopindwa , maana ya ndani ikiwa mtu ambaye hasikilizi ushauri wa wengine.
Bwana Bwalya anakabiliwa na kifungo cha miaka mitano jela ikiwa atapatikana na hatia.
Aidha Bwalya ni kasisi wa zamani na mfuasi wa zamani wa Rais Sata, ingawa sasa anaongoza chama cha muungano wa vyama vya upinzani (Alliance for a Better Zambia (ABZ).
Naibu waziri wa mambo ya ndani, Stephen Kampyongo alisema kwamba, bwana Bwalya alikamatwa kwa kutoa matamshi ya kumharibia sifa Rais Sata.
''Rais Sata ni yule yule aliyekuwa anasikika kwenye vyombo vya habari habari akiwachafulia sifa marais wa zamani, Banda na Mwanawasa na hakuna aliyemkamata,'' alisema katibu mkuu wa chama cha ABZ Eric Chanda.
Viongozi wa upinzani wametaka Bwana Bwalya aachiliwe wakisema kuwa yeye ni mwanasiasa asiyemuogopa mtu.
Waliongeza kuwa matamshi ya Bwalya, "chumbu mushololwa" hayakuwa matusi.
Mnamo mwezi Sepetamba mwaka jana Nevers Mumba mwanasiasa mwingine wa upinzani, alihojiwa na polisi kwa kusema Rais Sata ni muongo.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/swahili/habari/2014/01/140107_zambia_potatoe.shtml