Parliament explains ex gratia payment

Parliament has explained that even though Members of the fifth Parliament have received some payments effected in accordance with the requirement of Article 71 of the constitution, these payments did not cover only ex gratia.

A press release issued by the Parliamentary Service Tuesday explained that the payments included salary arrears and other statutory payments.

Reacting to what it called “some distortions and misrepresentations in some section of the media regarding the payment of the ex gratia to  members,” Parliament explained that those payments were due as far back as 2009 and were never paid in bulk.

It said the payments were received in four tranches, the first instalment being in November 2012, adding: “Parliament would therefore like to state these facts in the hope that they would appropriately guide ongoing discussions.”