MPs are seeking to be furnished with Apple laptops in order to be conducting virtual hearings of the sittings of the House of the National Assembly.
This means that the taxpayers will have to foot a bill of upto Ksh105 million for the acquisition of the laptops for the 350 MPs.
The cost of an Apple MacBook Pro goes for a retail price of Ksh300,000.
This will come into play if the lawmakers approve a report tabled in the House which advocates for ways that the National Assembly can beat Covid-19 disruptions.
“The committee recommends that the National Assembly should consider facilitating members of the National Assembly with laptops for the conduct of virtual meetings,” a report tabled by the parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee.
The committee also noted that the lawmakers preferred laptops to iPads.
The committee affirmed that the purchase of the laptops would allow them to adhere to the Covid-19 protocols instituted by the Health Ministry.
Currently, Kenyan MPs are among the highest-paid lawmakers in the world inclusive of all their perks.
Among the benefits include a Ksh5,000 per committee sitting, Ksh19,000 domestic subsistence, Ksh250,000 house allowance and Ksh10 million medical allowance.
Other perks also involve a Ksh5 million car grant, a Ksh20 million mortgage, and a Ksh7 million car loan.
The news comes as Kenyans have been decrying the state of the economy due to the high cost of living. The situation further deteriorated after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw thousands lose their jobs.
