Kenyan legislators vote to remove provision that reduced their lavish pay

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan members of parliament voted to increase their salaries after overturning a directive that had reduced their pay.

The legislators' salaries were slashed from $126,000 to $78,000 earlier this year by a government commission which said the country's wage bill was too high.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission had also argued that despite Kenya being among the world's poorer economies its legislators were earning more than French legislators.

Attempts by the members of parliament to raise their salaries have led to public protests including one earlier this month in which pigs were released outside the main entrance of parliament to signify the parliamentarians' greed.