On Thursday, Suba MP, Millie Odhiambo, blamed her constituents for making her go broke, alleging that her salary was stretched to the limit because of contributions and handouts.
Last week, the woman leader revealed that she contributes money to 23 funerals in her constituency.
“I spend at least Ksh 200,000 a week on funerals because my constituents are poor. There is no system to support them. I also have to deal with churches and education bursaries. When I receive my salary, I pay a mortgage of Ksh 300,000 and the rest goes to my constituents,” Millie lamented as quoted by People Daily.
Other MPs joined in the conversation, claiming that they were justified to increase their salaries. They accused the electorate of assuming that they have access to an endless supply of money.
The MPs spoke even as the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) defended them against accusations of greed, saying the claims were far-fetched.
According to Makueni MP, Dan Maanzo, some legislators are ‘extremely poor’ and are housed by relatives in Nairobi because they cannot afford to rent a home.
Maanzo, a second-term MP, blamed culture and poverty for the predicament MPs find themselves in. According to him, the African culture necessitates those in higher positions to help those in need.
“Recently, I had to cater for the expenses of bringing the body of a constituent who died in Seychelles. I also had to pay for postmortem for a man who was killed in my constituency,” he highlighted.
On Thursday, Nairobi Woman Representative, Esther Passaris, was embroiled in an online battle with citizens after she blamed them for looking up to leaders to cover their personal expenses.
“We represent citizens who look up to leaders for their personal expenses, from rent, medical, funerals, school fees, and food. Leaders in other countries are not expected to settle constituents’ personal bills. When people become independent, we can reduce wages,” Passaris tweeted.
On the other hand, Rarieda MP, Otiende Amollo, on Tuesday, appeared for a plenary discussion on NTV where he confessed that being a legislator had caused a strain on his wallet.
