Murkomen Rules Out Salaries for Village Elders, Announces Stipends Instead
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified that village elders will receive stipends not salaries, finally putting to rest the long debated issue of their remuneration.
Speaking during the Jukwaa la Usalama forum in Siaya County on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Murkomen said the government cannot sustain monthly salaries for local administrators due to financial constraints. “On the issue of welfare for village elders, that issue is being dealt with. I have done the cap memo; I will present it to the Cabinet. Once the Cabinet is done with it, that is when we will see how to facilitate village elders, not to give them a salary. The government is unable to give salaries to village elders,” he said.
Murkomen said the stipends will help elders acquire items necessary for their daily duties, to enable them serve the communities well. Items to be supported include torches, umbrellas, gumboots and other essentials. He added that the cap memo is already done and will be presented to the Cabinet soon after which a structured approach to supporting village elders will be put in place.
The push to pay village elders came through the National Government Coordination Amendment Bill 2023 presented to Parliament by the late Malava MP Malulu Njendi. The bill sought to formally recognize and pay village elders performing national government functions. But the proposal was rejected.
The Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, said the bill sought to enact provisions already in place under existing laws. A report from the committee stated: “The committee having scrutinised the bill recommends that the house should not pass the bill as it seeks to enact legislation which is already in place.”
According to the bill, “The national government shall ensure that the establishment of the village councils and appointment of the village elders accords with the requirements set out under section 53 of the County Governments Act.” The committee also noted that creation of administrative units should depend on necessity and available funding as determined by the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination.
Despite the bill being rejected, MPs who attended Njendi’s funeral asked the proposal to be revisited to honour his legacy and support village elders better in their duties.Stipends and logistics.
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Murkomen Rules Out Salaries for Village Elders, Announces Stipends Instead