The height of greed by Kenyan MPs

Kenyan MPs, considered the best -paid employees in the country, have an insatiable appetite for money. They are certainly a greedy lot. With a salary of US$6700 per month for some who never saw the gates a high school, they are the envy of many company executives who are still struggling to make ends meet after spending many years poring over books. Many wonder whether these legislators deserve that kind of money as the House is frequently hit by lack of quorum.

Yet the MPs whose main responsibility is to legislate the laws of the land have seized the opportunity amass as much wealth as possible, literally riding on the back of their constituents who voted them to parliament. Signs that the legislators in the ninth parliament would turn out to be the most selfish emerged as soon as they were sworn in. Defying a public outcry, their first House business was to award themselves a huge salary and a US$40 000 car allowance for each one of them. And only two months ago, the MPs were at it again, this time demanding to be paid a winding up allowance of US$19480 after serving one five-year term. Though their attempts were thwarted by the incessant protests from the civil society, it was not the final stop for the gravy train.

The legislators nonchalantly gave themselves US$12,987 each to put up a constituency office in each of the 210 constituencies in the country. Never mind that these offices are likely to remain unoccupied, as most of the MPs are never seen in their constituencies until the next general elections are around the corner.

Then comes the irony of all ironies. After President Mwai Kibaki’s rejection of Health minister Charity Ngilu’s Bill last year that would make medical care accessible to all Kenyans, the MPs have now reviewed their medical cover to include two spouses and eight children. With a total annual premium of US$415,584 the MPs and their dependants can now be admitted to any hospital in the world recommended by their doctors. This comes at a time when majority of Kenyans are dying of curable illnesses due to poverty.

Matters have been compounded by the US$80,000 development fund for each constituency. In their characteristic arrogance, the MPs have thrown all caution to the wind and appointed their wives, brothers, sisters and even best men to manage the funds. When questioned on the glaring nepotism, they impudently said there was nothing wrong with appointing their cronies as they could only entrust the funds to the people they know well. The upshot of all this is that the MPs have hijacked the country at the expense of 32 million Kenyans who pay for their upkeep.

But as the plot thickens, the person who is having the last laugh is good old Daniel arap Moi. Almost three years since he stepped out the scene, his legacy lingers on. The old corrupt networks are still intact and the desire to grab more has hit alarming proportions. The question that will continue to linger in the minds of ordinary Kenyans is: Who will save the country from these hyenas?