National Assembly clerk Samuel Njoroge has come out to set the record straight about media reports that Members of Parliament (MPs) are being sponsored by the House to travel to Qatar to watch the World Cup.
Njoroge, as the National Assembly’s accounting officer, said that he had not received any such request to facilitate the said trip to Qatar.
“We are not aware of any request to send members to Qatar and in any case, we are implementing austerity measures, some of which may not allow us to spend money on a venture like this,” the National Assembly clerk was quoted by The Star as saying.
15 MPs to Qatar
The Star had earlier reported that the National Assembly was planning to send at least 15 MPs led by House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to Qatar to watch the World Cup which is slated to start on November 20 and conclude on December 18, 2022.
The report indicated that all the expenses for the Qatar trip, including airfare, accommodation and daily allowances, were to be footed by Kenyan taxpayers.
2018 World Cup
In July 2018, Kenyans reacted furiously to news that 20 MPs had travelled to watch the World Cup in Russia at the taxpayers’ expense.
The MPs watched four games, including the final, in a two-week trip to Russia estimated to cost taxpayers millions of shillings.
The MPs caught the attention of Kenyans when they posted selfies in a stadium.
Then Sports Minister Rashid Echesa told the BBC he had authorised only six MPs to travel, to help understand how to organise such big events.
The then Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi said that the MPs sat on either the sports and labour committees, and were sent along with some members of the parliamentary football team, Bunge FC.
Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, who is head of the Parliamentary Service Commission that determines the responsibilities and remuneration of legislators, defended the trip.
Upon their return from Russia, the lawmakers plagiarised sports websites to compile their report on their World Cup experience.
