MPs mileage compensation system has this week been the subject of a forensic investigation that unearthed a lackadaisical if not scandalous attitude to the management of public cash.
Nancy Gathungu, the indefatigable Auditor General, has laid bare the carte blanche cheque Parliament has handed MPs in filing their claims for travel to their constituencies.
As the one House that lays claim to represent the long-suffering people of Kenya, it would be reasonable to expect some modicum of restraint rather the free hand which will no doubt be abused by unscrupulous MPs so they can gain financial advantage at the expense of the taxpayer.
By the very nature of their role, MPs are volunteers, patriots willing to sacrifice their time and skills to improve the lot of their people, not mercenaries milking every chance to live off their largely poor citizens.
The Gathungu report must surely inspire a root and branch overhaul of the allowances and mileage claims system with a view to making it in synch with the economic circumstances of the people they represent.
A car maintenance allowance of Sh356,000 is already the salary of very senior executives both in government and the private sector, not to mention the Sh15,000 airtime allowance, which in our country is the pay guards and domestic workers get.
Mileage compensation is a practice in many democracies but at least let the claims be based on actual travel paperwork.
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Quote of the day: “Wisdom comes from
experience. Experience is often a result of
lack of wisdom.”—English author of fantasy
novels Terry Pratchett died on March 12, 2015.
