Kenyan Politicians Camp in the US at Taxpayers’ Expense

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jasho
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:08 am

Kenyan Politicians Camp in the US at Taxpayers’ Expense

Post by jasho » Wed Aug 07, 2019 10:31 am

Kenya is sending the largest delegation in the world to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in Nashville, Tennessee - 85 legislators and members of staff to the US to attend a legislative assembly.
https://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/ ... index.html
No MP, Senator, Governor or MCA should ever go for an ‘official’ foreign trip without permission. Maybe SRC can act as the permission issuing body. This is because more than 90% of those ‘official trips’ are unnecessary and are just ways to fleece suffering Kenyans.

If they want to go for foreign trips to relax, they should do what doctors, nurses, teachers and farmers do: Pay from their own pockets. This would interfere with their independence? So what? Their independence to perform their duties will not be curtailed in any way, but their eating independence will be hit hard.
https://kenyaiforum.co.ke/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1181
Parliament has been sabotaging SRC funding. Therefore, if SRC will be the charged with the responsibility of being the authority that determines whether Governors, Senators, MPs and MCAs can travel abroad officially, then they must have financial independence i.e. there must be no way either senate or parliament can interfere with their funding, as is currently.

Having a body with such an authority is very necessary since patriotism of many Kenyan politicians is at an all time low. Some Kenyan politicians have no shame. How can someone not feel any shame traveling 2 times within 6 months to the same country (US) to attend some funny “official” meetings at taxpayers’ expense?

Not too long ago, a County clerk got a vote of no confidence for refusing to authorise MCAs to go on a “familiarisation tour” of the US.

Unfortunately, this lack of patriotism by a significant section of Kenyan politicians is not new. About 20 years ago, a certain Ambassador from a first world country visited a county council (current County government) that is less than 300 km from Nairobi.

He told the councillors (current MCAs) that his government wanted to help the District (County) achieve their no. 1 priority project. They told him that the most important project that they believed would help their District the most, was for his government to fund them (Councillors) to go visit his country, so they could learn how to develop their district.

Naturally, the Ambassador refused their request. Therefore, no project was funded in the District.

NOTE: If Speaker, or whoever authorises MPs/Senators travels, put his foot down and ordered that there would be no travel abroad unless its absolutely necessary, he would be impeached.

That is why there needs to be an independent authority - with independent funding that does not go through parliament/senate - that will control Kenyan politicians’ craving for foreign “fun” travel at taxpayers’ expense.

NB: What if US President Donald Trump kicks them out and tells them to return home and build Kenya? Please Mr Trump, do Kenya this one favour - Order that any country with more than 10 delegates in that Mickey Mouse conference in Tennessee - Kenya & Nigeria - to send everyone else home immediately and leave only 10 behind.

jasho
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:08 am

Kenyan Politicians Camp in the US at Taxpayers’ Expense

Post by jasho » Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:08 am

My suggestion that an external body be used to handle Kenyan MPs, Senators foreign trips might sound crazy, but it is based on the following argument: There are 3 arms of the government - the executive, legislature and judiciary.

In the executive arm of the government, the president is the ultimate authority responsible (through delegated authority) for any public officials’ foreign trips. Therefore, there is ONE person who can deny civil servants/teachers etc. authority to travel on official trips overseas, WITHOUT SUFFERING ANY CONSEQUENCE IN RETURN.

The same case applies to the judiciary, where this authority is in the Chief Justice (or is it Chief Registrar of the Judiciary)?

But in the case of Parliament/Senate, there is no such authority who can deny MPs/Senators permission/funds to travel overseas on official trips, WITHOUT SUFFERING ANY CONSEQUENCE IN RETURN.

This is where the problem is. Even if all MPs/Senators currently were sacked and replaced with a new set of members, the issue of misuse of funds & joyrides overseas will still continue, because the problem is not really the MPs/Senators, the problem is “structural”.

It is a case of mob psychology.

There was a time when MPs were discussing (undeserved) salary increase. Some MPs were against it. They were told by the MPs that were for the increase: “We will increase our salaries, and if you don’t want yours increased, you can return your extra salary to the clerk every month”. They then proceeded to increase their salaries.

As long as there is no one, independent of parliament/senate, who controls their spending/foreign trips, the MPs/Senators/Governors/MCAs will continue scanning the internet looking for foreign meetings they can attend. Consequencies of these unnecessary foreign trips include:

1. Waste of public funds, that would have been used to uplift the standard of living of poor Kenyans.
2. Embarrassing Kenya abroad.
3. Security risk.

On another note, the Mombasa Governor has also been to the US for a month, happily sharing selfies with US celebs online. This is very suspicious. He is dealing with people who are many times more clever than he is.

These people are so cunning that they will use you, without you knowing that you are being used. In that regard, Kenyan security services should surveil him closely from now until Mashujaa Day celebrations in October 20, that will be held in Mombasa.

Special focus should be on any “foreign investor” visiting the county between now and October 20, 2019.

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