Oblivious of Kenya’s economic hardship loudly chorused in the rallies, Kenyans will soon be treated to yet another luxurious spending spectacle on leadership tastes and colours in the furnishing of new government offices for Cabinet and principal secretaries.
President Uhuru Kenyatta vacates office soon after August 9 having served for two consecutive non-renewable terms. He will pave way for his successor to appoint another bunch of conspicuous spenders in the face of socio-economic hardship.
At an astronomical cost, fuel guzzling limousines, stately office furniture, carpets and curtains will have without restraint to be imported to replace serviceable and usable items in the custody of the predecessors. Even those to be re-appointed or transferred have to demand replacement in a country where the majority hardly make ends meet
Arguably, a small vehicle does not match a status symbol and a leader worth the name boasts no less than two fuel guzzling machines in the home and office fleet.
An office has to be furnished to the taste of the office occupant. Reasons for the replacement of the inventory and vehicles vary in this secular nation, where sometimes traditional beliefs dictate the desires to replace such items used by predecessors.
It is worth noting that as Finance Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta tried his best to bring sanity to government spending on luxurious vehicles but he was shouted down by parliamentary colleagues not amused by the austerity measures contained in the Financial Statement. The ministers and permanent secretaries then could not imagine themselves driven in a less prestigious 1800 cc Volkswagen Passat whose “ safety” was questionable.
Little did the Uhuru know that in his sunset days in office, one officer of a like mind would emerge with similar cost cutting measures to the amazement of habitual luxurious spenders.
DCI boss George Kinoti has salvaged and rehabilitated 32 rusty vehicles from a government scrapyard at a cost of less than Sh10 million, savings the government Sh140 million that could have been spent on buying new machines. Each of these reconditioned vehicles could not fetch more than Sh50,000 in a public auction, Kinoti contended.
Surprisingly wasteful leaders are not excited about the rehabilitation and maintenance of the so-called derelicts in a country where maintenance is loathed.
In light of the conspicuous spending and habitual ego soothing, it is hard to convince visitors to the ongoing presidential campaign rallies that the economy is struggling and more than half the population survive on less than a dollar a day or sometimes sleep hungry.
Healthy looking rally organisers across the divide wear designer party apparels, fly in helicopters and transfer to top of the range limousines from where they address the audience on the dream economic models and possible recovery measures. The crowds loudly cheer their heroes hurling insults and unprintable phrases against rivals.
Living within means is an alien phrase in the vocabulary of Kenyan leaders whose lust for conspicuous spending outweighs desires to bail out of a quagmire the down trodden. Proposed lifestyle audit was frustrated and declaration of wealth consigned to the dustbin of history making the campaign for social justice a mockery.
Choices have consequences, so it is said. Those wasteful arrogant leaders will be our choices on August 9 and we have ourselves to blame, if they preach water to us and drink wine in their cocoons.
The writer is a freelance journalist
