Speaker Muturi turns down MPs request to go to Japan

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has turned down a request by MPs to fly to Tokyo, Japan for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship that starts on September 29.

The MPs had requested to be allowed to be in Japan to watch the national team, Malkia Queens, in a 14-day trip fully paid for by the taxpayer, which includes air tickets, meals and accommodation, match tickets and per diems among others.

RUSSIA SCANDAL

The request by the 10 MPs, five each from the Senate and National Assembly, comes against the backdrop of public anger and condemnation that met a group of MPs who travelled to Russia for the Fifa World Cup in July.

The world’s biggest football extravaganza was held from June 14 to July 15 this year.

The members of the Sports Committee of the National Assembly chaired by Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka flew to Russia allegedly on the pretext of a working trip.

But when they came back, they were unable to produce a bench-marking report on their experience in Russia, as the standard practice requires, forcing speaker Muturi to compel them or risk sanctions. 

Though Kenya’s national team, Harambee Stars failed to qualify for the tournament, the MPs’ trip to Russia was premised on the country getting the good understanding of international standards of football.

But when they finally yielded to Mr Muturi’s pressures, their report was a scandal of sorts as it was discovered that it had been copy pasted from sports websites, an indication that they may have gone to “do their own things.”

On Wednesday Mr Muturi reportedly trashed a letter authored by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, the Bunge Volleyball head requesting for the approval of the trip. reached for comment, Mr Wanyama said; "sorry, can't talk right now."

“The speaker has rejected our request that we travel to Japan to watch our own girls take on others from across the world. It is unfair because our colleagues were allowed to go to Russia despite Kenya not being represented,” one of the MPs, who had been listed to travel, spoke to Nation in confidence.

Mr Muturi was not available for a comment by the time of going to the press but our independent investigations and sources within parliament confirmed that the 10 MPs will not be traveling.

Among those listed include Senators Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a), Andrew Lang’at (Bomet), Christine Zawadi (nominated), Beatrice Kwamboka (nominated) and Victor Prengei (nominated), and MPs Beatrice Kones (Bomet East) and Mr Wanyama.

“It was so scandalous to send MPs to Russia how can it be that these ones want to travel to Japan at the time the buzzword on the lips of Kenyans is austerity measures to check against wastage of the limited public resources,” an MP who did not wish to be quoted, said.

PUBLIC DEBT

The country has been faced with the challenge of raising revenue to meet its key obligations for the current financial year with a bludgeoning public debt, about Sh5.2 trillion further complicating the matters.

Last week, the MPs approved a supplementary budget that saw the government slash its Sh3.026 trillion budget for this year by Sh37.6 billion, in a move that has seen a drastic reduction in the development expenditure as well as education.

The Kenyan queens will launch their campaign for the world title in group ‘D’ on Saturday with a match against Kazakhstan before meeting Serbia on Sunday.

The group also has champions Brazil, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

The competition has 24 teams spread across four groups of six teams each. Other than Kenya, Cameroon is another African team representing the continent in the three- week long extravaganza.

The MPs who travelled to Russia include Mr Munyaka and committee members- Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Chris Omulele (Luanda), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), and Jones Mlolwa (Voi) among others plus a retinue of parliamentary staff.

The Senators were James Orengo (Siaya) Cleophas Malala (Kakamega) and Millicent Omanga (nominated).