Kenyan court frees parliamentary pay protesters

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

NAIROBI, Aug 2 (Reuters) A Kenyan judge freed five activists today who were arrested during a protest against plans to reward members of parliament with big severance packages ahead of elections in December.

''The continued detention of the former director of Transparency International (TI) and others is illegal and a violation of their constitutional rights,'' Justice Onesmus Mutungi told a packed courtroom. ''They should be released.'' Police had failed in their duty to charge the suspects in court within 24 hours of their arrest on Tuesday, he added.

Mwalimu Mati, the former head of TI Kenya, was detained on Tuesday with four other activists as they led a march on parliament to protest at a proposed bill that would give legislators large grants before they contest the polls.

Police had said the demonstration was illegal and fired teargas to scatter dozens of participants who were blowing whistles and waving placards denouncing the parliamentarians.

Kenya's legislators infuriated the public by quadrupling their salaries in 2003 as the first order of business.

Since then, they rarely have been able to raise the quorum of 30 out of 222 MPs, except when their own compensation has been up for debate. Under the proposed bill they would get 12.5 percent of their annual earnings, backdated to January 2003.

A typical member of parliament earns at least 12,000 dollars a month, including generous allowances. By comparison, an average teacher in the east African country earns about 250 dolars a month.

REUTERS PD RN1713

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