MPs to send team of 12 on three-week Rio trip

Kenyan taxpayers will spend at least Sh8.4 million to send a delegation of 12 MPs and Parliament staff to the Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil over the next three weeks.

The Senate and the National Assembly on Thursday confirmed that the team will be drawn from the committees on Labour and Social Welfare from the two Houses and will be fully funded by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). The games will start today ending on August 21.

Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye said the trip was necessary because it was normal for Parliament to send a relevant committee to attend such global games.

He added that it was normal practice for Parliament to be represented and that it was not a joyride.

“We do have a delegation of the Senate going to the games. I can confirm that. It consists of five senators and three staff members. These are members of Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare," said Mr Nyegenye, who is also PSC secretary.

"They are travelling on parliamentary business and they will be expected to prepare a report and present to the Senate on the games. This is a legitimate role of the committee."

Last evening, parliamentary staff were processing allowances for the lawmakers, who by the rates set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission will get Sh50,000 ($500) per day.

This means that for the 12-member delegation’s three-week stay in Rio De Janeiro, it will cost the taxpayer Sh8.4 million.

In addition to the daily allowances, the cheapest return ticket to Rio de Janeiro from Nairobi costs Sh259,711 each bringing the total for the 12 confirmed passengers to Sh3.12  million.

The figure could increase if some members of the delegation fly business class and once the size of the entire delegation is confirmed.

The committees are expected to prepare reports on what they saw, heard and witnessed at the Rio games, which will then be debated in both Houses.

It was, however, not clear what purpose the reports will serve since the Sports ministry and the Kenyan Olympic committee are also expected to come up with their own expert write-ups on the games.

“It is ordinary conduct of parliamentary business by the relevant committees. We got an invitation and accreditation from the Ministry of Sports,” said Mr Nyegenye.

MISTREATMENT
The five senators who will be on the plane to Rio are Stewart Madzayo (ODM), who is the chairman of the House Labour Committee, Martha Wangari, Muriuki Karue, Joy Gwendo and Isaac Melly.

Matungu MP David Were, who is the chairman of the Labour and Social Welfare Committee and who will be leading the National Assembly team, said Thursday it was not the first time that Parliament would be sending a team to watch the Olympics, and that it was represented in London in 2012 as well.

He said three members of the committee and a clerk would travel.

“When we go there, it helps us understand how those games take place. We were at the Special Olympics in Los Angeles last year and because we sat with the athletes, we found out a lot of things," he said.

"We did a report and talked to the ministry and told them that the teams were not well treated and their allowances have not been paid.”

Mr Samuel Gichigi, who is a member of the committee but will not travel, said the expenditure was justified.

“As the committee that oversees sports, we have received many complaints from various stakeholders, especially sports men and women, that they have been receiving shoddy treatment during training and that the government only comes in at the last minute to pay for the travel,” said Mr Gichigi.

He said the committee had received complaints that allowances for the athletes were little and accommodation poor.

The list of the travelling members of the National Assembly had not been released by the time of going to the press.