Kenya’s lawmakers in a report of the National Assembly Committee on Members’ Services and Facilities tabled in Parliament last week, sought the implementation of an allowance that would allow them to sleep and make merry in five-star hotels.
The Members of Parliament (MPs) argued that the allowance was vital during their trips to Nairobi for legislative business.
“Among other programmes, the commission budgeted for facilitation of Members of Parliament accommodation when they come to Nairobi to discharge their legislative work,” stated an excerpt of the report.
Nyaribari Masaba MP, Ezekiel Machogu presented the report in his capacity of chairman of the committee.
A similar report was tabled in August 2018, in which the MPs recommended the construction of a state of the art gym to tone their muscles and pot bellies, as well as the setting up of a gift shop where they could make purchases exclusively.
The MPs expressed serious concerns over the non-implementation of the August 2018 recommendations and demanded answers from the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).
“The committee observed that out of the raft of resolutions made by the House, very few had been fully implemented by the commission,” stated a section of the report.
Notably, their demand for hotel accommodation allowance comes despite being beneficiaries of a govt-backed mortgage of up to Ksh20 million.
Upon implementation, the taxpayer will bear the heavy burden with cost implications expected to be quite high considering the fact that there are currently 416 MPs.
Actual figures regarding the hotel allowance weren’t available, but according to the Standard, the committee benchmarked in New Zealand where they each receive Ksh 400,000 each time they visit.
