In an editorial in the Standard by Jerry Okungu lashes out at Speaker Francis Ole Kaparo for being just as responsible for the rot in Parliament that the Speaker lamented about last week. Specifically;
- Kaparo, chairs the Parliamentary Service Commission, which has enabled MP’s to raid the treasury, arm-twist the Finance minister and literally amassed massive wealth for themselves. The commission has awarded obnoxious salaries, allowances and benefits to 220 Kenyans who hardly do a day’s job worth paying for.
- Turned a blind eye (until recently) to the numerous all expenses paid parliamentary trips to the Coast, to discuss matters that could easily have been discussed in Nairobi. Public funds have been misappropriated by the same National Assembly to buy the MPs air tickets, hotel accommodation and allowances, all under the pretext that they had to go away from Nairobi to be able to understand parliamentary bills and constitutional consensus issues.
- Yet, several times, Kaparo come out strongly in defence of the dignity of the House and its MPs.
Earlier, Sunday Nation columnist Gitau Warigi commented Kenya gone from a presidential dictatorship to a parliamentary dictatorship and that;
- The ordinary Kenyan is finding it too expensive to finance the proclivities of this political class
- Financing the political process is also getting too exorbitant. The constitutional review process has already gobbled upwards of Sh4 billion. The upcoming referendum will consume something like that, too.
- And we should ask ourselves whether we really need the score of additional constituencies Electoral Commission of Kenya Chairman Samuel Kivuitu wants to create.
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