The State has frozen AU emvoy Raila Odinga’s lavish retirement benefits.
The perks at the centre of the dispute include medical insurance, fuel allowance, fully furnished offices as well as 17 workers – including chefs, security, accountants, secretaries and personal assistants – all hired at taxpayers’ expense.
This is because Raila is already enjoying similar perks in his capacity as African Union’s special envoy for infrastructure development.
However, the move has drawn protests from Mr Odinga’s secretariat.
Treasury officials say that Mr Odinga has been enjoying similar benefits since his appointment to the African Union job, which, according to the Treasury, he secured after being backed by the Kenyan government.
However, Mr Odinga’s secretariat has accused the Treasury of seeking to once again deny him his rightful share of pension, saying that the AU perks are not financed by Kenyan taxpayers.
The dispute is likely to add a new test to the peace deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, popularly referred to as “the handshake”, of March 2018.
Mr Odinga was appointed to the AU position in October last year and has two offices; one in Nairobi and the other in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
The AU provides him with medical cover, staff and cars. Mr Odinga’s secretariat has asked the Treasury to give the former PM’s office the cash equivalent to the benefits, a proposal that the former has declined.
According to the law, the former PM is entitled a monthly pension equivalent to 80 percent of his last salary, a lump sum of equivalent to 12 months of his last pay, security, medical insurance and a diplomatic passport for himself and spouse.
Other perks that Mr Odinga is expected to enjoy are; one personal assistant, one secretary, one accountant, two housekeepers, two senior support staff, two gardeners, armed security and two cleaners.
The others are two saloon cars and a four-wheel drive vehicle, both of which will come with three drivers and a fuel allowance equivalent to 15 percent of the monthly pay of the serving Deputy President. The vehicles are to be replaced after every four years.
