§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that the Kenya Government has always been anxious to grant Matthew Wellington a State gratuity, but has hitherto been prevented by the ruling of the Imperial Treasury and Colonial Office, what is the obstacle to the granting of a gratuity to this old servant of Livingstone?
§ Dr. SHIELSIn 1911, when Matthew Wellington retired from the service of 2915W the Government of East Africa Protectorate (now Kenya Colony and Protectorate), the Governor urged that in the special circumstances of the case a pension of R.20s. a month should be granted, but the Colony was not then financially independent and it was found impossible to arrange for the grant of superannuation other than that strictly allowed by the existing rules, namely, a gratuity of £16. Now that Kenya is financially independent, there is no obstacle to the grant of a special compassionate allowance, provided that it is voted by the Legislative Council of Kenya and approved by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. My Noble Friend, as indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 22nd July last, has been in sympathy with the suggestion to make such an allowance, and has indeed pressed it upon the Government of Kenya. It is understood from a recent report in the Press that the matter is now before the Legislative Council, but official information as to the action taken has not yet been received.