2006年VOA标准英语-Kenyan President Awarded Almost Three-Fold Pay

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
08 December 2006

Kenya's parliament late Thursday awarded an almost three-fold basic pay increase to President Mwai Kibaki, a move heavily criticized by opposition¹ politicians. It comes as civil servants are striking for better pay, floods are ravaging² parts of the country, and more than half of all Kenyans live on less than two dollars a day. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

 
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
The Kenyan president will now earn about $28,000 a month in basic pay, up from almost $10,000 a month previously³.

Including allowances, Kibaki's total income each month is now more than $45,000.

But parliament, which was adjourned⁴ indefinitely late Thursday, delayed making a decision on increasing the allowances of the house speaker, Cabinet ministers and members of parliament.

Tiberius Barasa, a researcher with the Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, tells VOA many Kenyans believe that the performance of the president and government has not met expectations.

He says that, last year, only five bills were passed in parliament, and that civil servants have been lobbying for pay increases all year.

He said, "Recently, we have had the [university] lecturers asking for pay increases, and that has not been addressed appropriately by the government. The negotiations⁵ are still on."

"The teachers are still asking for their pay rise, regarding the agreement that they entered into with the government in 2003. It would be appropriate for the government to consider the issue of harmonizing all the salaries and pay packages for the civil servants," he added.

The average primary school teacher earns about $130 a month, while a university lecturer earns about $1,200 a month.

 
People cross the Mrima river along the Mombasa-Tanzania highway, 16 Nov. 2006, after the bridge was washed away by heavy floods
Meanwhile, the country has been hard hit by flooding.

The International Federation⁶ of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Thursday asked donors⁷ for almost $22 million to help some 723,000 people affected⁸ by the floods.

VOA was unable to contact the government spokesman for comment, and officials in the finance and president's office were unavailable for comment.

When discussing the president's pay increase, the trade minister was quoted Thursday as saying he supported the motion because, in his words, "we must give the institution of the presidency⁹ the respect and dignity it deserves."

He and several others said some civil servants and members of parliament earn more than the president.

The approved and proposed increases come at a time when more than half of all Kenyans live on less than two dollars a day. According to U.N. figures, 71 percent of urban Kenyans live in slums, and most of them do not have access to electricity or clean running water.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 ravaging   

毁坏( ravage的现在分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• It is believed that in fatigue there is a repeated process of ravaging the material. 据认为，在疲劳中，有一个使材料毁坏的重复过程。
• I was able to capture the lion that was ravaging through town. 我能逮住正在城里肆虐的那头狮子。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 adjourned   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

7 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。