Calls to have village elders put on government payroll have re-emerged, this time around on the floor of the National Assembly for the second time.

Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse is seeking to bring a motion that will compel the National Government to gazette all existing villages as administrative units.

Should the Bill sail through, the government will officially recognize village elders and pay them a monthly salary.

In a notice of motion which is yet to be tabled at the National Assembly, the MP explains that village elders interact with wananchi at the lowest level hence their recognition is in the public interest.

“The village is not formally recognized as an administrative unit under section 14 of the National Government Coordination  Act no.1 of 2013,” Mutuse noted.

Despite the village elders offering services to the public and the Government, he argues, they are not remunerated contrary to article  41 of the Constitution on fair labour practices.

He said that Article 10(2) (b) of the Constitution binds state organs and state officers to uphold human dignity, which includes being remunerated for work done.

Further, the legislator highlighted that the CS for Interior, National Administration in consultation with the President and the Public Service Commission have the power to establish national government administrative units and appoint administrative officers to serve  under those units through a Gazette notice.

Once the notice of motion is tabled, it will be scheduled for debate for the MPs to approve or reject.

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