Kenya's MPs
have agreed to drop their annual salary by $45,000 ($28,700) to $75,000
following a public outcry, a government-appointed body has said.
The MPs
would receive a car allowance of around $58,000, for agreeing to the cut, the
Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) said.
On Tuesday,
protesters in the capital, Nairobi, denounced MPs as "MPigs".
MPs voted
for a $120,000 annual salary in May, in defiance of the wishes of the SRC and
President Uhuru Kenyatta.
'Trade-off'
They argued
they deserved the amount because they worked hard and gave financial help to
their constituents.
But their
decision sparked national outrage as the MPs are among the highest paid in the
world and the average income in Kenya is around $1,800 a year.
MPs agreed
to the pay cut of nearly 40% in "fruitful" talks held with them, the
SRC said.
The 416 MPs
would receive a one-off car grant of around $58,000, as it was a "more
viable option" than giving each of them a chauffeur-driven car, the SRC
added, AFP news agency reports.
The MPs
would also receive hefty pension benefits, it reports.
MPs in the
previous parliament awarded themselves a $107,000 retirement bonus in one of
the last sessions before the election.
The package
also provided them with an armed guard, a diplomatic passport and access to
airport VIP lounges.
Kenya held
presidential and parliamentary elections in March.
The SRC and
the president can only recommend how much MPs should earn - they cannot take a
decision.
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