Kenyan-Born Australian Senator Lucy Gichuhi on the Spot over $2,139 Taxpayers' Cash Spent on Her Birthday
Kenyan-born Australian senator, Lucy Gichuhi is on the spot after allegedly spending thousands of taxpayers' money to celebrate her birthday.
The Sunday Telegraph reports that the Federal Liberal senator has been forced to return the cash she used to buy air tickets for two family members to fly to Adelaide and celebrate the birthday with her.
The daily said the South Australian senator, 56, "held a 50th birthday plus GST' in Adelaide last October. However, Ms Gichuhi has since defended herself, terming the expenditure as an administrative error involving misunderstanding of travel rules.
Records indicate she spent $2139 for two return flight tickets from Darwin to Adelaide as part of her 'family traveller' allowance. Family traveller allowance is a fund allocated for kin to visit politicians on "parliamentary, electorate or official business", the paper says.
The package is provided to enable senators and members to balance work and family responsibilities. Ms Gichuhi said she will return the cash and an additional 25 per cent penalty.
"Regarding the media reports about my travel expenses, this was an administrative error involving misunderstanding of travel rules. I’ve raised an invoice from the department to pay the costs of $2139 in full,"the senator tweeted on Sunday.
"A wonderful night of celebration with family and close friends,' she posted after the birthday party.
"Fifty is the Biblical year of Jubilee, of freedom from oppression and debt, of healing the land, of rest and of new beginnings," part of her birthday speech stated.
"This is my prayer for all of you. Five is the number of grace and jubilee can only happen because of his grace. So, fifty plus GST is a very important birthday for me and I have now also taught you to deduct 10 per cent off your own age – if you want to!"
Gichuhi made history in 2016 by becoming the first person of African descent to be elected to the Australian senate.
Comments (25)
Sasa ona huyu?! She will figure out quick she isn’t in Muranga
Yaani hata Luthy amepeleka ujinga ya Kenya huko Australia. Huyo hata anaweza fungwa huko. Upuzi upuzi. You can take a looter out of Kenya but can't take the lootness out of them.
Lol!!!
Lol , now that is funny , Luthy :-) What a shame...............
@Mugikuyu wacha kuongea gi Koinange who hails from the same,Banana village with jambazi Lucy.Not all Kenyans are thugs.Lucy could have been jailed,fined and lost her property if it was in US.
Mkono mrefu Luthy. Mbeca za wenyewe umekula kama NYS
This greedy trashy should have stayed in Githurai..We got all this embarrassment for what?We are very upset now.
Lucy wahenagia,wari queen wakwa.Jambazi Lucy unafikiria huko ni Kenya pahali wezi wengine wajiitao corruption fighters,kina Gathoni,Sabina,Ngetich wananjiongeza 700%?Ata huna haya,you will eventually lose your seat for EATING $2000 or shs 200000 which is tissue paper or bus fare for their boyfriend(Chacha) to Kenyan MP(thug).
Ms. Gichuhi says "I have now also taught you to deduct 10 per cent off your own age – if you want to!" I don't get it. Someone explain to me please.
We helped by his asshole
Hawa shetani tutawafudisha sasaawa . We are tired of these criminals tarnishing our name.
Typical response from politicians when caught,and exposed," this was a misunderstanding".Tax payers money is always related to the job,you are elected to do-Paying for a birthday party is a very long stretch.
However,In all fairness, it could have been an honest mistake.I dont know this lady.But it could also have been an opportunity to exploit an"ambiguous" policy to her advantage.(Kenya style)
Whether honest mistake or deliberate thievery, checks and balances were at work,the way they should be.
Mugikuyu (Mugekoyo) na Pesa Haram: INSEPARABLE!
Kenyans! looks like we expect our bad habits all ove
Kusherehekea siku ya kuzaliwa si mila zetu!
@Imara,you have apoint.Had she not celebrated her birthday,the mzungu way she wouldnt be in this shameful sportlight.More importantly is the "misuse of the funds.Whether the purpose was genuine or not.
Birthday Celebrations are Business to Cakemakers and Gift Sellers.
@ guest 1...here is a moral question for you since you said kenyans are moral people, :If you are the cakemaker or the birthday celebration maker and you know for sure the person you are throwing the party for stole the money from publuc coffers would you take that money?
How can she be 56yrs and the article states that the money she spent was on her 50th birthday last year October? is this story a fabricated or what?
Agood number of Kenyans in diaspora have been known to shave off at least 5 years from their actual age,especially those who come over when in their late 20s or early thirties.So it's possible she could be 56 the" true age..."
$ 2000 is her weekly pay. Not anywhere close to looting. Our Senators claim way more than that for entertaiment and second wife insurance. Happy birthday my friend Mrs. Gichuhi.
Wakenya are corrupt in to theirDNA
As a kenya am very alergic to kenyans after reazing that each and everyone have corrupt mind. I prefer dealing with white pple because they are straight foreward and not beggars. Hata watoto wadogo wa kenya are corrupt they learn how to lie at a very young age...but white pple never have that behavier..wakenya are welknown in europe to bring their corruptions with them everywhere in europe n america...and its doesnt matter hiw long they live in europr..corruptions and harambee every month...white pple are indipendent and learn how save early while we africans learn how to beg, lie and spreading legs everywhere.
Now that government officiell in Australia...she has already brougt her corruptions with her...but now whites will have an eye on her...and the trust os equal to 0
Corruption is in our blood. It seems like we take it with us everywhere we go.
1-Americans messed up Iraq killed innocent women n kids destroying their economies is that no impunity n corruption????
2-They did the same thing to Libya
3-They started same shit in Syria.
So yes I agree impunity corruption is in pples blood.Not only Africans.Actually worse in the WEST thou it’s hidden calling it e.g lobbying which is bribing.Adding higher taxes is way for of corruption.Selling guns n arms which end up killing pple??So when Wr talking about corruption n impunity let’s not point at only one race or continent.
@mkenya halisi.You are correct corruption is not exclusively kenyan/african.Its embaded in human greed.Like I have said before,Iwould not be as made if Kenyan govermnent had medical coverage for every kenyan,unemployment at 7% basically standard of livibg comparable to those countries you mentioned.