MPs should stay true to their oath of office

A dangerous trend is cropping up in Parliament – that of members resorting to surreptitious means to make money.

The 12th Parliament has not disappointed on this front. On Thursday, rogue members had the audacity to line up along the corridors of the august House to collect bribes to shoot down a report on contraband sugar.

But even before the drama, the 38-member committee co-chaired by Mandera South MP Aden Haji and Kanini Kega of Kieni that wrote the report, was literally thrown under the bus, as vested interests carried the day. MPs threw caution to the wind, choosing to sell their souls for as little as between Sh20,000 and Sh30,000. We condemn this dishonourable greed. Deal-cutting and nasty intrigues should never set Parliament’s agenda. There have been cases where MPs make false mileage claims and engage in needless foreign trips to pocket allowances. On the other hand, some committees hold many sittings to attract allowances with no substantive debate.

The current Parliament, under Speaker Justin Muturi, is an embarrassment to say the least. They have given Kenyans a taste of how their remaining time in the august House will be spent.

We challenge them to stay true to their oath of office. Parliament and other arms of government must symbolise our democracy by being beyond reproach. Leadership failure of this magnitude could kill the Kenyan dream. We remind MPs that Kenyans are watching them. Their focus should be to serve public interest.