Kenyan MPs Spend Sh508 Million on Foreign Travel in Three Months

Kenyan MPs Spend Sh508 Million on Foreign Travel in Three Months

Kenyan Members of Parliament spent a staggering Sh508 million on foreign travel in a period of three months in 2018.

In a report, the Controller of Budget (CoB) says MPs and other top Parliament officials spent 508.6 million in the three months to September 2018, representing a 398 percent increase in foreign travel budget in comparison to the same period in 2017.

During the same period in the previous year, the parliamentarians only spent Sh102.9 million on foreign travel.

This means that MPs spent more on foreign travel than Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has most of its official duties abroad.

In the same quarter, the Ambassador Monica Juma-led Ministry spent Sh409.3 million, Sh100 million less than what MPs spent.

Similarly, the Ministry of Sports which equally has several engagements outside the country spent Sh70.8 million on foreign trips.

MPs spent a further Sh669.9 million on their local trips, bringing their total travel budget to more than Sh1 billion.

This defies President Kenyatta's calls for a cut on non-essential expenditure even as the government continues to grapple with a huge budget deficit.

"These budget cuts ask of us in government that we tighten our belts. It also ensures the sacrifices made by tax-compliant Kenyans are matched by discipline from all of us in the public service," Kenyatta said in September.

Comments

Imara Daima (not verified)     Mon, 12/17/2018 @ 01:30pm

"Wenyenchi walio wachache" (matajiri na wajumbe wa bunge) wamepatana sasa kuwamaliza raia wa Kenya. Ningependa kujua, ni nani atakayewatetea maskini "wananchi walio wengi?"

Ndugu Kivutha Kibwana, tafadhali jiandae (prepare yourself) mapema ili 2022 uwaokoe wananchi kutokana na uroho (greed) wa "wenyenchi" kwa kuanza kugombea kiti cha urais sasa.

Godhavemercy (not verified)     Mon, 12/17/2018 @ 05:15pm

What a country. Why can't they spend this money on upgrading healthcare for all instead of kumangamanga huku na huko. The fleecing continues.

Joe Kamande (not verified)     Mon, 12/17/2018 @ 07:48pm

And we are on a tight budget and austerity measures, whatever that means. For everyone else, tighten your belts, for these mpigs loosen your belts. Who are these mindless, heartless people who do not care for their constituents answerable to? Uhuru, you can payuka all you can, but you are talking to dead ears. Kenyans, we are dumb. We have ourselves to blame. We willingly give these hyenas our sheep to look after for us. We should stop crying and let them feast on the sheep until there are no more left. Shame on us!

Maxiley (not verified)     Mon, 12/17/2018 @ 11:33pm

We the people are to blame.We elect these thieves,to work for us.Ofcourse they will short change us.
I dont mind them spending 1 billion to bring in a billion. But what we have here is spending without return on our investment. Aloss.

Maxiley (not verified)     Mon, 12/17/2018 @ 11:35pm

We the people are to blame.We elect these thieves,to work for us.Ofcourse they will short change us.
I dont mind them spending 1 billion to bring in 2billions. But what we have here is spending without return on our investment. Aloss.

One2ManyDayz (not verified)     Tue, 12/18/2018 @ 12:29am

When they fight each over our votes; we the voters fight each other even harder (hata hapa hapa mwakilishi!). When they seat together to squander our money; we seat together as victims to complain about them. Who is to blame for the plunder?

Jamama (not verified)     Tue, 12/18/2018 @ 09:51am

Meanwhile the boy in statehouse is raising taxes left right and center. How many travels has he done this month alone with nothing to show?

Anonymous UI (not verified)     Tue, 12/18/2018 @ 03:20pm

In three months they donated 508 million of Kenyans hard earned money to foreign countries. How much did they donate to their local constituencies?. We need new blood that does not govern with their stomachs but governs with their actions. Young Kenyans that will only look without after exhausting within. God give Kenya leaders not politicians. God help Kenya!!!

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