'Kanjora' are still benchmarking, years after devolution, blowing Sh1b on trips

Some 40 of the 47 county assemblies blew over 60 per cent of their budgetary allocations on foreign travel, the Controller of Budget has revealed, which accounts for nearly Sh1 billion. The purpose of the trips was described as training and benchmarking.

That means some 13 years since devolution was rolled out, kanjoras are still trying to figure out what to prioritise, possibly because they are slow learners. No educational requirements are imposed on this cadre of elected leaders.

And even though our economy is primarily agricultural, Dubai was one of the destinations preferred by the MCAs.

Arusha was another, despite that being the seat of regional diplomatic entities. In some cases, MCAs from various county assemblies made as many as eight trips to Arusha over the last six months, so it’s safe to assume they were attending sessions at the East African Court of Justice.

The court sessions would be of particular interest as MCAs impeach their governors at the slightest irritation, such as denial of emoluments that many feel entitled to. Arusha, in any case, would make a lot of sense as per diems would be issued as though they were travelling abroad, yet they can dash in and out before nightfall and return to enjoy the loot back home.

As for Dubai, the most rational explanation would be that they venture there for shopping. After all, just about everything is duty-free, as are the tickets and board afforded by the Kenyan taxpayer. Not too bad for Class 8 graduates. Bure kabisa.