Storm over Kenyan MPs and Senators’ costly trip to Olympics

President Uhuru Kenyatta hand over Kenyan flag to captains of Kenya Olympic teams to Rio Olympics at State House, Nairobi on Friday 22/07/16.PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO

NAIROBI: Kenya’s gallant sons and daughters continue making the country proud by delivering more medals from the Rio Olympics despite the odds staked against them.

The team has faced travel and accreditation challenges among other problems as it emerged that some Senators are wallowing in luxury in posh hotels in Brazil at the expense of the Kenyan tax payer.

Also, in the huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches and the 38-metre Christ the Redeemer statue, are their colleagues from the National Assembly.

At a time the country is grappling with high inflation and a huge debt burden, which are straining the taxpayers, the legislators are blowing away more than Sh3.2million each in 21 days to “observe and benchmark” the Rio Games.

The question Kenyans are asking is: Is it worth the cost?

“It is a shame because that money should have been given to our medalists and those who participated in the games to boost their morale instead of paying MPs who do not even pay taxes to joyride and have fun in Brazil,” said Margaret Adhiambo, a hawker in downtown Nairobi.

Deputy President William Ruto was also in Rio to express solidarity with Kenyan athletes who are doing their best to make the country proud. He is already back home. Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro said: “I have no comment on that issue,” as National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi gave the controversial fanfare by the MPs in Rio a wide berth.

He did not say exactly how much the MPs were paid and requested that those concerns be raised with the clerks of the bi-cameral Parliament, Jeremiah Nyegenye (Senate) and Justin Bundi (National Assembly).

“I am not aware of the specifics of what members were paid. The accounting officers are better placed to respond,” said Muturi, who is also the chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission.

He also said that individual committees execute their mandate as per the Standing Orders and do not have to seek the Speaker’s permission.

Mr Nyegenye, who is also the PSC secretary, dismissed the figure floated by some members of the Senate who did not want to be quoted. He however refused to reveal how much each member was paid.

“That amount is false. The Labour and Social Welfare Committee is responsible for sports among other issues. The mandate is broad and therefore the MPs’ trip to Rio should not be viewed as waste of public funds,” Nyegenye said.

He emphasised that sports is a very important sector and require strict supervision.

House business

“This is official parliamentary business. Sports is fun and people take it as a joke, it is serious business. The lawmakers are not joyriders, it is ordinary and legitimate parliamentary business,” he told the Standard on Saturday in a telephone interview.

“This is the committee mandated to deal with sports matters. The Olympics is equally important just like any other sport. Parliament is expected to oversight the Executive and since Cabinet Secretaries are not represented in Parliament, the Committee acts as agents in seeking answers to members’ queries,” he said.

He also refuted claims that the Committee was writing its report in Rio.

Saying it was far from the truth, the clerk explained that the committee was on a fact finding mission in Rio, and will write its report when back and table in the House for discussion and adoption.

The members of this Committee from the Senate include Senators Stewart Madzayo (Taita Taveta) – chairperson, Martha Wangari (nominated) - vice-chairperson, Godfrey Kariuki (Nakuru), Karue Muraguri (Nyandarua), Joy Gwendo (nominated), Mvita Kisasa Mshenga (nominated), Abdirahman Ali (Wajir), John Munyes (Turkana) and Halima Abdille (nominated).

The Standard on Saturday could not independently confirm how many of the Committee members are in Rio. Some legislators have also questioned the reason behind the trip to Rio, dismissing it as a waste of public funds.

But another member of the Committee fumed that “MPs always make foreign and regional trips not just to benchmark but the trips also in line with their respective committee’s mandate” and sports is not an exception.

The Standard on Saturday has reliably learned that the lawmakers travelled to Rio as agents of Parliament to get a first-hand account of the happenings.

Twenty-eight MPs from the National Assembly led by chair David Were (Matungu) and vice-chair Tiya Galgalo (Women Rep, Isiolo).

Was there an urgency for the lawmakers to make the trip? Though it is not clear when the legislators made the trip, those contacted maintained that they were well within their mandate to do so.