The Most Selfish group of MPs in Kenya’s history.

 

The current crop of Parliamentarians have taken selfishness to unprecedented levels. Parliament is now chock full of individuals with little or no concern for their constituents. All they do is look for ways to line their already bloated bank accounts while doing precious little for the people they are supposed to represent. And this applies to both the ruling party and the opposition.

Kenyans have watched helplessly as they continue to award themslves hefty pay raises while the pay of most civil servants have stagnated. Then came the proposition to increase the number of constituencies by 90 in order to increase their chances of being re-elected. Add to this the fact that most ministries now have two ministers and four assiastant ministers and one is left wondering if these MPs are capable of feeling shame. They have also gone directly against the will of most Kenyans by demanding t postpone the elections by a year. Now they are considering another increase in salary and benefits. That the MPS would even consider another pay raise when they are already making obscene amounts is mind boggling.

Kenyans would be much better off If these MPs spent as much energy tackling more pressing issues. As I write this I am struggling to come up with any legislation that has been passed in Parliament of late for the benfit of Kenyans. Why is it that these MPS will not even raise a whisper to support a pay raise for teachers or nurses ? By the way any MP who can read this passage should thank a teacher.

One only has to live abroad to see how badly this kind of leadership reflects on Africans as a whole. Most Westerners think that Africans are incapable of governing themselves and would be better off being re-colonized. I have heard Radio hosts even make statements like "70% of Africans are retarded by Western standards". As a student I have heard several University lecturers make derogatory statements about how even giving Aid to African countries is a waste of time and money.

Initially I tried to counter such arguments by explaining that Africans are really forward thinking people but we are badly let down by our leadership. But I have now finally given up.

History however will take note. Fifty years from now, Kenyan history books will contain narratives about how our leaders committed an economic holacaust against the very people they should have been helping. MPs should sit back and consider what kind of legacy they want to leave.

 

Rachel Kabata

Memphis, Tennesee

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