Fury on the street over free ride to Washington party

Ordinary Kenyans have criticised the planned government delegation to US President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, saying taxpayers should not pay for politicians to attend an unofficial party.

At a press conference on Monday, Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula announced that he will lead a high-level delegation of at least eight people, including four Cabinet ministers and three Members of Parliament.

The delegation, according to Mr Wetang’ula, will attend an unofficial party in Washington DC on the eve of the event, since ambassadors and their spouses are the only foreigners allowed to attend the event itself.

“It is like they are on a holiday spree, spending millions of shillings while Kenyans are eating mango fruits for breakfast, lunch and supper due to famine,” said Mr David Odhiambo, a third-year student at the University of Nairobi.

“There are so many issues facing Kenya, including the food issue, the fuel issue, the law review issue. If these politicians want to go, they should pay out of their own pocket,” said Mr Moses Anjia, a resident of Ruiru.

It is not yet clear how much the government will spend on the trip, calculations based on the cost of air travel between Kenya and America, and decent hotel accommodation suggest that it could exceed Sh1 million.

Asked about the costs on Monday, the Foreign Affairs minister said: “We are going to the US in various segments, so it is difficult to tell you the costs.”

Mr Wetang’ula said Tourism minister Najib Balala, who is to be part of the government delegation, is already promoting Kenya in the American cities of Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Mr Wetang’ula, Youth and Sports minister Hellen Sambili and Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o are supposed to stop first in Cuba to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

Direct flights between Cuba and the United States are not allowed. But sending these three delegates would likely cost Kenyan taxpayers far more than Sh120,000, the price of three round-trip tickets between nearby Miami, Florida and Washington DC quoted on travel websites.

Round-trip flights for four other delegates (Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim, Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, Kisauni MP Ali Hassan Joho and Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai) travelling directly between Nairobi and Washington DC would amount to around Sh780,000 on an airline like KLM.

According to the website of Holiday Inn, one mid-range hotel in Washington DC, the general price of four rooms to be shared by eight individuals would be around Sh54,000 per night. For three nights, this fee would amount to Sh162,000.