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At least 20 Kenyan Members of Parliament are currently in Russia to watch the ongoing FIFA World Cup tournament on taxpayers' bill.
The Star reports that the 20 include 14 members of the National Assembly and six Senators. They traveled to Moscow in two groups on July 2nd and 5th and will return to the country after the conclusion of the world's most famous sporting event on July 15th.
The MPs are drawn from Parliament's Committee on Sports, Labour and Social Welfare and Parliament's football Club, Bunge FC.
Among those in the delegation are MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) who chairs the Sports committee, Wafula Wamunyinyi ( Kanduyi), Sylvanus Maritim (Ainamoi), and Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay).
Others are Senators Cleopha Malala (Kakamega), James Orengo (Siaya) Aaron Cheruyiot ( Kericho), Judy Pareno (Nominated) and Millicent Omanga (nominated). Parliament said the trip is official and acts as a benchmarking tour for the Parliamentarians.
“It is their responsibility to understand sports, how to host such international tournaments. This is not a holiday and it is too simplistic to look at it as a joyrider mission,” said Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye who is also the CEO of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC.
“From where we stand, this is official business, only that it is happening in Russia. Had it been happening in Somalia or even Uasin Gishu county, we would still have a team there,” he said.
Due to the heavy demand as a result of the tournament, a flight ticket from Nairobi to Russian capital Moscow is going at around $4,000 (Sh400,000), translating to at least Sh8 million for the 20 MP's airfare. They are also entitled to daily allowance, accommodation and food.
Contacted for a comment, Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Achesa said no officials from his ministry traveled to Russia.
"We were invited but opted out. It is too expensive and a waste of money, " he said, adding that it would have cost the taxpayers about Sh3.8 million if he had traveled.
Interestingly, no Kenyan professional footballer was sponsored to the event even as Kenya continues to record poor performances on the international stage.
Comments
They should all be asked to write a paper on what they learned upon their arrival.
What the f... Kenya is not even playing!!
Come on.You are not going to fool us.Mpigs went there to have fun .
Do not let them into Kenya until they repay the money back that money. Give the migration officials their bill to clear at the airport.
We should be proud of them maybe they are coming back with exceptional soccer skills to take us to 2022 finals. They are 20 of them right?,actually we gonna have a one powerful squad with. 9 reserves . Kenya will be the first and only African team to win 2022 World Cup finals, after the final whistle Jesus Christ of Nazareth will descent and it will be the end of the world , Captain James Orengo will present trophy to president Raila . No more vitendawili!!!!!!!!
Truth be told, they went their to get bottles of Vodka.
The money being spent by these MP's should have been spent to translate to the MP's the meaning of Public Servant. How about the government put a ban on Public Servants travel until further notice.
We have dead people due to floods, we have Kenyatta Hospital running out of cancer medicine, we have Kenyans being humiliated by China because of debt-and then we have leaders who do not see anything wrong with that while they spend millions to go out of the country for two weeks to watch an inflated ball. What a leadership (we need some soul searching). God help Kenya!!!