National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge has denied that there are any plans to send MPs to watch the World Cup in Qatar.
It is good that the accounting officer of Parliament has made it clear that there’s no budget for that kind of activity. It would have been morally wrong to send our leaders to enjoy themselves in Qatar when President William Ruto has asked for austerity measures.
Suba MP Caroli Omondi had said he, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and a host of other MPs were due to travel to Qatar.
The Star revealed this trip yesterday at a time when the country is suffering acute famine, with many families at risk of starvation.
Moreover, the country is sinking in colossal debts, and paying off the loans should be one of the priorities and not leisure trips.
In 2018, 20 Kenyan MPs travelled to Russia to watch the World Cup at the taxpayers’ expense.
They watched four games, including the final, in the two-week trip that cost the taxpayer a lot of money. Did their trip yield anything tangible? Your guess is as good as mine.
Upon their return, the lawmakers plagiarised sports websites to compile their report on their World Cup experience.
Setting funds aside to finance such entertainment is totally uncalled for and anyone thinking about it should be condemned for being insensitive.
Quote of the Day: “I believe in fate, but I also believe that hard work and diligence play a very important role in our lives.”
Chanda Kochhar
The Indian businesswoman (CEO of ICICI Bank) was born on November 17, 1961
