Former councillors seek president William Ruto's intervention over their pension

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Neglect and living in abject poverty describe the life of many former councillors who served in local governments since independence to the pre-devolution era.

From struggling to educate their children to battling with diseases, the former civic leaders the group feels tormented.

Most of them have even died before they enjoyed their retirement package.

For these leaders, there is nothing to celebrate for diligently serving in the defunct local authorities.

Pius Mzee Arap Kauka is among the former councillors whose lifestyle paints the picture of an abandoned leader.

Kauka, who served as the last deputy mayor of Kitale, shares emotional tribulations.

Kauka shared his struggles in life, an unending push to get his retirement package, and unsuccessful petitions to the government over unpaid pension dues.

Kauka 67 regrets that most of his colleagues have died in abject poverty, a situation that describes their suffering after serving in public service.

“ We were about 83 councillors in Trans Nzoia who served in the local government over a period of time, but right now we are 50 surviving since most of them have died due to frustrations seeking their pension dues,” said Kauka.

The former deputy Mayor who is battling with diabetes, says his personal life is evidence of a leader who has been neglected after public service.

Kauka, who served for two terms between 1997 and 2012, argues that they received minimal pay as councillors during their time.

“We were not paid a salary but allowances amounting to between Sh 7,000 and Sh 13,000 with equal responsibility as current MCAs. This was little money to put up investment, the reason we are suffering," he said.

The husband of two and 22 children said life has been unbearable after public service and regretted that successive governments have ignored their plight despite numerous petitions to the government.

“ Life is unbearable, and most of us are really struggling with diseases and no income. I spent over Sh 200 every day on medicine before I had diabetes,” said Kauka.

Kauka says he has little to do and frequently takes his notebook and checks saved mobile numbers to call his friends and relatives seeking support.

“Life is boring, and I depend on friends for money to help me buy drugs daily since I don't have any income," Kauka told the Standard.

He argues that the monthly stipend they are pursuing would help him initiate small projects at home to generate income.

"If the government had listened to our concern and paid us our pension and paid the monthly stipends, life could have been different," he asserted.

He said most of them are dying at a high rate due to age and poverty, and petitioned President William Ruto to intervene over their unpaid pension.

“ I was supposed to get Sh 1.5 million as a package and receive a monthly stipend of Sh 30,000 per month, but this has not happened, and we petition the president to intervene,” said Kauka.

Kauka plays a role in a small grassroots mobilisation assignment in the political arena, and he is an active opinion leader on issues affecting the community.

Kauka, who is the Chairman of the former councillors' organisation in Trans Nzoia, said they are not giving up on their push to get their pension dues.

"We are not to give up in our quest to get paid our pension package," he says.

During an interview with former councillors, they said their demand is genuine and asked the Kenya Kwanza government to honor its pledge and implement the payment of their approved retirement package budget of

The councillors, including Christopher Lonyala (Chairman, West Pokot), Moses Wenani, and Co-ordinator Christopher Makokha Wanjala, accused successive governments of neglecting them.

They observed that most of them are depressed and poverty-stricken despite their service to the Country.

“We diligently served the people of Kenya as Councillors before the 2010 constitution and in various capacities, but successful governments neglected us. Our hope is on President Ruto to implement our package,” said Makokha.

They wondered why Members of Parliament and other elective and appointive government officials enjoy timely pension and gratuity packages, but for the former civic leaders, it has remained a toll order.

Makokha argued that the government has money to pay them, but misplaced priorities have always seen them not paid their dues.

In April 2023, while appearing before the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee, chaired by West Pokot senator Julius Murgor, Treasury CS Prof Njuguna Ndung'u promised to pay the ex-councillors before the financial year ending June 2024.

The government had promised to release Sh 2.3 billion as gratuity for 11,919 councillors who served less than four continuous terms, while Sh 218 million would be released for 328 councillors who served four or more continuous terms.

But Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi says that the Ksh200,000 honorarium for councillors who served less than 20 years in government is no longer legally possible, thus making Inua Jamii a perfect alternative.

An honourarium is a one-time payment made to an individual as an appreciation for the services they provided, especially when the services they offered were not part of the individual's official duties.

If the proposal goes through, it means that the ex-councillors will be receiving Ksh2,000 monthly cash payments from the programme, which supports vulnerable groups, including the elderly, orphans, and those with disabilities

Mbadi, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on August 20, 2025, said that there is currently no legal framework to compensate the former 328

Mbadi claimed that even though the senate had resolved to have the councillors paid in October 2018, which was supported by recommendations from the Inter-agency Taskforce, the Treasury cannot make the payments due to legal constraints.

“The delay in implementing the Senate resolution of 18th October 2018 and the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the payment of honoraria and pensions to former councillors has been primarily due to legal constraints,” Mbadi said.