MPs pocket billions in false claims

A storm is brewing in Parliament over billions of shillings paid to MPs and senators in fraudulent mileage claims.

The  Nation established that some legislators  make mandatory mileage claims weekly even when they don’t use their official cars as stipulated thus abusing the facilitative fund meant to reimburse them for expenses incurred when they drive to their constituency work stations.

Makadara MP Benson Kangara has petitioned the National Assembly speaker over the wastage and says he is seeking to have mileage claims scrapped due to emerging integrity issues and what he termed as blatant theft of public funds.

“I have petitioned the speaker to have these claims scrapped. I will also seek to have external investigations into this so as to expose MPs who have been making fraudulent claims. Some claim up to Sh700,000 per month,” the MP said.

He appealed to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the matter arguing the auditor general’s office has deliberately ignored inquiries into the scandal.

Broke MPs who have committed all their salaries in mortgages and other engagements have resorted to making false mileage claims to survive.

In the last Financial Year, the National Assembly alone spent Sh1.8 billion to pay mileage claims for some 280 MPs.

“This is an abuse of privileges and we must have these claims suspended and integrity issues emerging dealt with forcefully,” said Mr Kangara.

Up to 50 MPs from Nairobi, Kiambu, Naivasha, Muranga and Kirinyaga have signed Mr Kangara’s petition though some told the Nation they signed to have equity considered in sharing the 2.9 billion allocated to both the Senate and the National Assembly.

Two MPs who are also a members of the Parliamentary Service Commission are said to be notorious in making fraudulent claims with one of them pocketing over Sh2 million monthly in falsified mileage claims per month. Sources said some MPs have obtained inaccurate scales from the ministry of Transport which they use in the fraud.

Only MPs who make over 750 kilometres a month are expected to claim for mileage to facilitate expenditure for extra kilometres covered but some members have been making claims even if they don’t travel at all.

“It is interesting that some fly or just don’t travel but queue at the claims office every Tuesday. This is the height of dishonesty,” said a National Assembly official who cannot be named. Some claim even when their vehicles are tucked in garages for long-term services or grounded.

MPs from Coast, parts of North Eastern, Nyanza and Western are among those listed in the racket seen as a ploy for financial rip off.