The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has secured a decisive constitutional victory after the courts affirmed its exclusive mandate to determine the salaries and benefits of Members of Parliament, dealing a major blow to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and lawmakers who had sought to wrest control over pay structures.
The ruling settles a long-running institutional turf war that has pitted SRC against PSC and sections of Parliament over who holds authority to set remuneration for state officers. In a firm interpretation of Article 230 of the Constitution, the court ruled that only SRC is legally empowered to set and review the pay and benefits of MPs and other state officers, effectively locking PSC out of the process.
The decision halts sustained efforts by PSC and legislators to influence or bypass SRC’s determinations, particularly at a time when MPs have been pushing for enhanced allowances and pay reviews amid mounting public pressure over the rising cost of governance.
Legal experts say the judgment reinforces constitutional discipline and strengthens SRC’s independence, insulating it from political pressure. “This ruling restores the spirit of the Constitution by ensuring that salary setting for state officers remains centralized, transparent and insulated from self-interest,” one governance analyst observed.
The court further faulted PSC for overstepping its mandate by attempting to encroach on SRC’s functions, warning that parallel salary-setting structures would undermine fiscal order and public accountability.
The ruling comes against the backdrop of a ballooning public wage bill and heightened scrutiny of lawmakers’ compensation. SRC has consistently argued that unchecked salary increments threaten macroeconomic stability and crowd out funding for development and social services.
In recent years, the commission has moved to rationalize allowances, cap sitting fees, and harmonize public sector pay in line with economic realities — measures that have often drawn resistance from MPs.
With the legal clarity now settled, any future proposals touching on MPs’ salaries, allowances, pensions or benefits must originate from SRC, reinforcing its role as the constitutional gatekeeper of public remuneration.
For PSC and Parliament, the verdict marks a significant retreat. For taxpayers, it is widely seen as a win for accountability, fiscal prudence, and respect for constitutional order.
