Parliament has ruled out plans to sponsor lawmakers using taxpayers’ money to Qatar to watch the World Cup.
National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge told the Saturday Nation that his office has not received request to approve a budget for such a trip even as he cited austerity measures being implemented by the government.
A recent schedule released by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u showed that 100 per cent of the remaining balances on foreign travel, training, and motor vehicle and furniture purchase budgets as of September 30, 2022, have been slashed.
“My office has not received any request from any member or staff of the National Assembly to travel to Qatar” Mr Njoroge said.
His remarks come in the backdrop of a revelation by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi that he would be travelling alongside National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to Qatar to watch the month-long games.
“I will be travelling with Speaker Wetang’ula for the World Cup,” Mr Caroli told his constituents.
He is a member of National Assembly’s Sports and Culture Committee that has 15 members. The committee is chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama.
Russia trip in 2018
A source in Parliament told the Saturday Nation that Mr Wetang’ula “will likely travel to Qatar”.
The source, however, could not confirm if the Speaker would be traveling with a delegation from Parliament at the expense of the taxpayer.
Members of the committee remained guarded on the matter that has a potential of sparking fury among ordinary Kenyans should Parliament resort to splashing millions of shillings to fly the MPs to the Gulf.
In 2018, Parliament sponsored about 20 MPs to Russia for the World Cup.
Then National Assembly Sports and Culture committee chaired then by former Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka took eight members – Mr Munyaka himself, Mr Chris Omulele, Mr Jones Mlolwa, Mr Ben Shinali, Mr Dan Wanyama, Mr Sylvanus Maritim, Mr George Sunkuiy and Mr Charles Nguna.
Also in the team was a parliamentary staff, Fred Otieno
Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, James Orengo (then Siaya Senator) and Millicent Omanga (then nominated Senator) were also in Russia.
There was another team from Bunge Sports Club that comprised nine MPs – drawn from both the National Assembly and the Senate. BY DAILY NATION