Wetang’ula Warns Over Half of Current MPs May Lose Seats in 2027 Elections
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has cautioned that a large number of current Members of Parliament are unlikely to retain their seats in the 2027 General Election.
According to the Speaker, more than half of the legislators serving today may not return to Parliament after the next polls.
Speaking on Tuesday, January 27, during the official opening of a legislative retreat for National Assembly members, Wetang’ula revealed that statistical data shows a very high rate of political attrition.
He explained that about 56 per cent of MPs are expected to lose their seats, a situation he linked largely to how lawmakers conduct themselves while in office.
Wetang’ula noted that losing an election often comes with serious financial consequences, especially for MPs who fail to plan for life after politics.
He said political exit is not unusual and should be expected, adding that many former legislators struggle financially once they leave Parliament.
“We are not strangers to the reality of political attrition. When it happens, the result is an exit from Parliament, and that exit often comes with reduced income and financial pressure,” Wetang’ula said.
The Speaker revealed that an actuarial report presented to a parliamentary pensions committee confirmed the worrying trend.
According to the report, the average attrition rate stands at 56 per cent, meaning that more than half of the MPs currently serving will not step foot in the next Parliament.
“As we sit here today, at least 56 per cent of us will not see the inside of Parliament in the next term,” he added.
Based on this reality, Wetang’ula urged MPs to think seriously about their financial security beyond their time in public office. He called for the establishment of a structured savings and pension scheme that would protect lawmakers after they leave Parliament, including access to healthcare and a dignified life in retirement.
“We want to ensure that there is a good life after Parliament, including proper health coverage, so that members are not left vulnerable once they exit office,” he said.
Wetang’ula further disclosed that the House had previously debated four pension amendment bills. He explained that the Pensions Committee, together with other relevant committees, had reviewed and refined the proposals to create a more comprehensive pension framework.
The aim, he said, is to ensure MPs accumulate pension benefits for all the terms they serve, not just selected periods.
One of the proposals in the bill seeks to increase the monthly pension for former legislators who served between July 1984 and January 2001. Under the proposal, affected former MPs would receive a minimum monthly pension of Ksh 100,000.
However, this proposal has faced strong resistance from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), which has raised concerns about sustainability and fairness.
Another proposal aimed at extending pension benefits to MPs who served for only one term has also encountered challenges.
Despite this, Wetang’ula’s latest remarks suggest that the different pension proposals may have been revised and merged into a single consolidated bill that could soon be tabled in Parliament.
Currently, the law only allows MPs who serve at least two terms to qualify for a monthly pension. This means that legislators who serve more than two terms do not receive additional pension benefits for the extra years served, while those who serve just one term are excluded entirely from the pension scheme.
Under the Parliamentary Pensions Act, one-term MPs do not qualify for a monthly pension. Instead, they receive a refund of their pension contributions upon leaving office.
The refund is calculated as three times the total contributions made, plus 15 per cent interest for each year served.
In addition to the refund, one-term MPs are entitled to a service gratuity, commonly referred to as a send-off package.
This gratuity is calculated at about 32 per cent of an MP’s basic salary for the duration of their term. Recent reports estimate that this amount currently stands at approximately Ksh 5.8 million.
Wetang’ula’s remarks have reignited debate on the future of MPs’ welfare, pension reforms, and the broader question of accountability and performance, as lawmakers face increasing scrutiny from voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
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