Opinion
The wives of key leaders don’t need this money
Posted Monday, August 25 2008 at 18:27
During President Kibaki’s first term, the matter of Vice-President Awori’s wife getting an allowance never arose.
From the circulars seen recently from the Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, one can glean that the payments to the wife of the present Vice-President is an innovation, as is the matching payment to the wife of the Prime Minister.
If the way Kenya operates is anything to go by, it might not be long before the wives of Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi also start badgering their respective husbands for money from State coffers.
Next it will be the turn of every Cabinet minister to be under siege from a determined spouse wanting his or her share of shopping money from the Exchequer.
Then on down to Assistant ministers, PSs, MPs, judges and anybody who is somebody on the public payroll.
Before things start getting out of hand, the easier and faster option might be to simply stop those cash injections to the First Lady and the VP’s and PM’s spouses. They will not starve, nor will they lack the wherewithal to be always presentable and well-turned out.
Official expenses, within reason and budget, will still be met by the public, but there will be no issue of any of the aforementioned spouses being seen as greedy while most Kenyans live below the poverty line.
Rejecting the payments would earn the three ladies a tremendous amount of respect and goodwill from the public.
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Mr Mutula Kilonzo comes across as a pretty sharp fellow in both his natty attire and in his gift for repartee. But as minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development, he is going a bit over the top.
It is good to dream, but flights of fancy and castles in Spain are entirely different propositions.
The minister should stop dazzling us with all those fantasies 10-lane highways and spaghetti junctions all over the place, and even special lanes for the high and mighty, and go for the simple things first.
Residents of Nairobi’s Eastlands, Westlands, Southlands and Northlands may be impressed with all the glib talk, but all they want is the garbage collected, water in their taps and their roads fixed.
mgaitho@nation.co.ke
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Submitted by wakuriaPosted August 29, 2008 01:17 AM
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Submitted by mucheneneko
I agree with mr Gaitho entirely,the wives do not deserve a penny.That money should be put to better use,like elevating the living standard of the poor.
Posted August 27, 2008 02:27 AM -
Submitted by nani_ngombe
kula_mboga. i thought i was the only one who ducked through the window from the economics class! you mean people in the informal sector do not buy milk, automobile parts, bread, sugar blablabla? i think i can teach you basic microeconomics for free then you'll start kula_nyama!
Posted August 26, 2008 09:44 PM -
Submitted by kula_mboga
talking about the word taxpayers which is bandied about quite abit..who are they really? ppl are very ready to shout that "i ama taxpayer" bla bla bla..but are they really? Kenyas economy is based on more than 50%in the informal sector..these ppl do not pay taxes since they operate on a cash basis most of the time..those who do pay taxes and who should complain are those who get paystubs where the govt actually deducts its share.This is the bckbone of Kenya.
Posted August 26, 2008 08:38 PM -
Submitted by gitimu
Mr. Gaitho, Very well said!! Only in Kenya are VP's and PM's wives paid by poor taxpayers. Sample this, Obama's VP pick goes to work by train; our VP and PM do not know what public transport is and now we have to pay their wives to do what comes with the territory of being a VP's or PM's wife. When will our leaders start making sensible decisions? Don't we still have wananchi who cannot put food on the table? How about using that money to feed the hungry in Kenya or resettle our own refugees?
Posted August 26, 2008 08:29 PM
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So, MP's are paid ridiculous sums coz they contribute in harambees. Wives get the same because they are doing what for the image of Kenya? ONLY IN KENYA.