The lords of poverty carry on with their greedy eating spree

By Peter Kimani

Kenya: County governors, the new lords of poverty, are back in the news, again, with their hand in the till. Never mind they burnt a whopping billion shillings on travel in just under three months.

It is mind-boggling that only 47 men, perhaps 46 if we don’t count the one who was sacked this month, have such a spectacular gift of burning through a stash of our taxes with such ease.

But what’s even more remarkable is that their petty cash, you know, the kitty that’s spared for small expenditure like tea and mandazi for some unexpected guests, runs into millions, about Sh30m at the last count.

Now, for ordinary mortals like you and I, our petty cash implies the stash of coins thrown into a corner after every trip to the shops, and which is gathered at the weekend to buy a bamba finje or even the smaller category of prepaid air-time.

For the governors, their equivalent kitty runs into millions, and that’s just what the Treasury is able to verify. There is possibly a little more that was allowed to fall through the cracks of their expensive cabinets.

Still, the governors will feel nothing; you will see their chubby faces tremble with fury because we even raised the matter.