Democratic Party urges MPs to drop push for higher perks

The Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Esau Kioni has lashed out at MPs over their proposed Bill in which they seek to award themselves rent-free houses and government vehicle, describing them as greedy lot who have no interests of their electorates at heart.

Mr Kioni said if their “greedy demands” are implemented, this will directly affect the poor people who are already burdened by the high cost of living.

Mr Kioni accused the MPs of losing focus and neglecting their roles as they are not prioritising on enacting legislation that would be beneficial to the electorate.

Speaking to the Nation Wednesday at the party's office in Murang’a town, Mr Kioni said the current parliament is “a total failure to the electorate” who woke up early to vote them in the MPs.

HEED UHURU APPEAL

"As a party we call on members of parliament to reconsider the proposal and adhere to the directions of President Uhuru Kenyatta who has expressed his discontent with the proposal,” he said.

The DP boss said if the MPs go ahead to pass the Bill, his party will petition the Head of State asking him not to assent it into law.

Mr Kioni said the leaders should be looking for solutions on predicaments facing their regions including the thorny issue of maize in the Rift Valley, allocation of natural resources in the Mt Kenya region, sugar issues in Western and fishing issues in the Nyanza region.

GREED

"That is what these leaders were elected for but due to greed and lust, they have decided to go against the President whom most of them hung on to get to parliament," he lamented.

In a Parliament Service Bill based on the recommendations of the National Assembly Committee on Justice and Legal affairs, all the 416 MPs, majority leaders from both Houses will be provided with a free rented house each, a government vehicle and an expanded constituency outreach operation.

Senators will also get Sh2 billion to enable them play their oversight roles in counties.