Nairobi — Predictably, the taxpayer is uncomfortable about the extra burden they will be required to take on so that their MPs can work in greater comfort.

On Wednesday Parliament voted to build a local office for each elected MP and rent one for each nominated member at a total of Sh210 million.

The public's disquiet is understandable given the manner in which our legislators have voted to themselves attractive perks without the service to match.

Since they were elected in 2002, the MPs have increased their salaries to around Sh600,000 each besides arrogating to themselves attractive packages that allow them to own top of the range four-wheel vehicles imported free of duty.

They have also been provided with expensively furnished offices at Nairobi's Continental House, complete with a gymnasium and sauna.

The Roads Levy Fund disburses a total of Sh1.4 billion to the 210 constituencies to build roads, which means each constituency receives Sh5.5 million.

The MPs are also tasked with managing a Constituency Development Fund, which entitles each constituency to a minimum of Sh20 million every year.

Recently, the public roundly criticised a proposal by the Parliamentary Service Commission that each MP be paid a Sh1.5 million gratuity at the end of each five-year term.

The stated purpose of building offices at the constituency level sounds socially beneficial - to make the legislators more accessible to their constituents.

But this should be weighed against certain eminently more pressing needs, like the war on poverty, disease, ignorance and crime.

The Narc Government has shown its commitment to devolving power to the peripheries, and this must be appreciated.

But the establishment of another centre of authority to rival that of the provincial administration must be thought through so that there are no overlapping services.

Otherwise the central Government's red tape will be replicated at the grassroots level at great costs to the already overburdened taxpayer.