Sam Atandi Profile: Education, Career and Politics

                                                                                     SAM ATANDI

Sam Atandi Onunga is the Member of Parliament for Alego Usonga Constituency in Siaya County.

Atandi has served as an MP since 2017 and is a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party. He was re-elected in 2022.

Reports indicate that he is set to be the next chairperson for the Budget and Appropriations Committee, replacing Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.

Atandi has been a member of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning since 2017.

Politics and Career

Before joining politics, Atandi worked in the banking sector, where he held various positions.

Between 2015 and 2017, he served as the Director of Institutional and Transactional Banking at the National Bank of Kenya. Prior to that, from 2009 to 2015, he was a Senior Relationship Manager at NIC Bank.

The Alego Usonga legislator also worked at the Bank of Africa (K) Ltd as a Relationship Manager in Institutional Banking from 2008 to 2009.

Earlier, he was a Sales Manager for SME Banking at Standard Chartered Bank (K) from 2006 to 2007 and a Sales Representative for Consumer Banking from 2005 to 2006.

Sam Atandi Education Background

Atandi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Second Class Honors Division from Egerton University, where he studied from 1995 to 2005.

Before that, he attended Ambira High School from 1994 to 1997, obtaining his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

He attended Upanda Primary School, where he attained the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 1993.

Salary and Allowances

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), as provided under Article 230 (4) (a) of the Constitution of Kenya, has the authority to review and set the remuneration and benefits for State Officers in the Executive of the National Government.

Under the Third Remuneration and Benefits Review Cycle that covers Financial Years (FY) 2021/2022–2024/2025, SRC set MPs’ gross salary at Ksh 739,600.

This includes a basic salary of Ksh 443,760, a house allowance of Ksh 150,000, a market adjustment of Ksh 145,840, and an official commuter allowance.

State officers in the National Assembly who serve on committees receive sitting allowances.

The Chairperson earns Ksh 15,000 per sitting, up to a maximum of Ksh 240,000 per month, while the Vice-Chairperson earns Ksh 12,000 per sitting, up to a maximum of Ksh 192,000 per month.

Atandi, being a member of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, has earned Ksh 7,500 per sitting, up to a maximum of Ksh 120,000 per month.

He is also provided with a motor vehicle reimbursement of Ksh 7,550,000 for the purchase of a car to undertake official duties as an MP.

Car maintenance allowances are paid to lawmakers at a rate of Ksh 356,525 per month, and they are reimbursed for a claimable mileage of one return journey per week from the National Assembly (Nairobi) to their constituency at a rate of Ksh 152.6 per kilometre.

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