Speaker Wetangula says 56 percent of MPs won’t be re-elected, pushes for pension funding

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula urged Members of Parliament to give priority to pension funding, warning that a majority of current lawmakers may not return to Parliament after the 2027 General Election.

Addressing the lawmakers during the 2026 National Assembly Legislative Retreat, Wetangula cited findings from a pensions and actuarial report indicating that about 56 per cent of Members of Parliament are unlikely to be re-elected in 2027.

He cautioned that without proper financial planning, many MPs leave office to significantly reduced incomes, making post-Parliament life difficult.

This seemed to have shocked some of the leaders present.

Wetangula said all legislators are required to contribute to the parliamentary pension scheme to safeguard their financial stability after leaving public office.

“The sessions on Members’ Pensions Facilities Security and Transition Planning reflect our view that public service must be dignified both during and after tenure. We know political attrition is unavoidable, and the consequence is exit from Parliament, which comes with diminished earnings,” he said.

“I chaired a committee on pensions and the actuarial report shows that, on average, our attrition rate is 56 per cent. As we sit here, at least 56 per cent will not return in the next Parliament. We must ensure there is good life after you leave Parliament.”

He cited the proposed pension amendment bill sponsored by Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu as a long-term solution.

He said the bill has undergone extensive review involving the pensions committee, actuarial experts, parliamentary management, and the National Treasury.

“I have discussed this with the Majority Leader, who has handled four pension amendment bills. I have carefully reviewed this one with Makali Mulu, the pensions committee, actuarial advisers, parliamentary management and Treasury representatives. We have refined it and, in my view, it is a good bill for you,” Wetangula said.

During the retreat, he also called on MPs to reassess their core mandate, reminding them of their constitutional role in budget oversight.

Wetangula emphasised that Parliament holds the ‘power of the purse’ and should pay close attention to budget estimates and numerical adjustments to ensure spending decisions align with key policy priorities.

The MPs are set to resume sittings after a long break.