KENYA: Where’s our money? That is the question MPs put to National Treasury Cabinet SecretaryHenry Rotich when he came to tell them about public spending and their oversight role over the Executive.
Treasury chief Henry Rotich
The MPs, led by Paul Bii (Chepalungu), with the backing of Adan Keynan (Eldas), piled pressure on the cabinet secretary as they sought answers for the delay in disbursing money for furniture, staff and rent for their constituency offices.
Bii lamented that most of the MPs had been forced to dig deep into their pockets to pay their drivers and personal assistants because the money had not been paid for the last three months.
Joined fray
“They are giving us a problem because they also have families and they deserve to be paid. When will that money be released?” posed Bii.
Simba Arati also joined the fray and said the Sh600,000 for furniture, Sh195,000 for staff and office operations; and Sh35,000 for rent had not been disbursed. The rent is paid directly to the landlord.
Keynan, who sits on the Parliamentary Service Commission, said the PSC had already sent a request for the money.
MPs used their retreat in Kwale to complain about poor facilities in Nairobi and in the constituencies; the high number of demonstrations at the gates of the House against them, plus the abolition of question time.
Kenyans have been demonstrating over the MPs’ demands for higher perks. They were also at the gates of Parliament over the proposal to levy Value Added Tax on maize flour, rice, bread and unprocessed milk.
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU and TOBIAS CHANJI, The Standard
