The National Assembly (Speaker's Retirement Benefits) Bill No. 77 of 2026
- Name of the Bill as appearing on the Order Paper:
The National Assembly (Speaker's Retirement Benefits) Bill, 2026
- The Stage of the Bill:
First Reading
- Summary of What the Bill Proposes to Do
This Bill seeks to provide for the retirement benefits of a former Speaker of the National Assembly; repeal and replace the National Assembly Speaker’s Retirement Benefits Act, 1997; and provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.
The Bill proposes to reduce the term that a Former Speaker should have served in order for them to be entitled to the retirement benefits from two terms of 5 years to only one term of five years.
The benefits in the Bill include:
- A tax-free monthly salary at the rate of 80% of the emoluments of the incumbent Speaker in the same way as the Act
- a house built or bought in the Republic by the Government at a place of choice of the former Speaker or in lieu of the house a one-off cash payment equivalent to 40% of the one-off cash payment paid to a former President under the Benefits of Former Presidents and Former Vice- Presidents Bill No. 5 of 2026. This is unlike the Act that prescribes that the house be in an area of choice of the Speaker but within reasonable financial expenditure.
- One driver and one motor vehicle with state funded maintenance and fuel as determined by National Assembly whereas the Act provides for two vehicles and two drivers with maintenance and running expenses as determined by Cabinet.
- A diplomatic passport for former Speaker and spouse whereas the Act provides for a diplomatic passport for the Former Speaker, the spouse and dependent children.
- Medical insurance for the former Speaker and spouse whereas the Act did not have such a provision but included a furnished office with a personal secretary and a messenger, a cook, laundry man, gardener and general domestic servant.
- Foreign travel of up to one trip per annum in the same way that the Act has.
- Local travel of up to one trip per annum unlike the Act while allows for three trips per annum
- Twenty- four hours security service with two security officers in the same way as the Act.
The Act does not make any provision for the spouses of formers Speakers but the Bill provides that such child or spouse (who does not remarry) will be entitled jointly to:
- The house that the former Speaker would be entitled to if it was not built or bought during the lifetime of the former Speaker.
- A tax-free monthly pension at the rate of 50% of the emoluments of the incumbent Speaker.
Only the house referred to above will form part of the estate of a former Speaker who dies while in or after vacating office.
The Bill like the Act provides that a former Speaker who
- is in receipt of a salary from the Government;
- is holding the office of Speaker;
- is engaged in active politics;
- vacates office on the grounds of a violation of the Constitution or of misconduct; or
- is convicted of an offence under a written law and sentenced to imprisonment for a term exceeding six months without an option of a fine.
The 80% of the incumbent Speaker’s emoluments will become payable to a former Speaker who ceases to receive a salary from government. Further to this, the driver and vehicle will not be reinstated even after the former Speaker leaves active politics.
Finally, the retirement benefits that are due to a former Speaker under the repealed Act shall remain valid as if the retirement benefits were paid in accordance with this Bill.
- When the Bill has been Gazetted as an Act of Parliament:
[To be updated when the Act is gazetted]
- Contacts for submission of Comments: Email the National Assembly or Visit the National Assembly Submission Portal