MPs demand more accountability on foreign trips budget
Members of Parliament take oath of office at National Assembly on September 8, 2022. The legislators have demanded more accountability on foreign trips budget
Members of Parliament have demanded accountability on money released by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) to facilitate their foreign trips claiming the budget is run in secrecy.
The lawmakers yesterday said the amount in the budget has never been disclosed to them.
During the second day of induction yesterday, the lawmakers piled pressure on the Directorate of Committee Services to disclose the amount PSC normally releases to facilitate them whenever they are out of the country for official parliamentary duties.
In every official parliamentary trip MPs make, local or abroad, there is always a secretariat that ensures their travel is smooth, ensuring they get their visa on time, or book flights for them. They also organise transport for MPs from the airport to the hotel and other places in the course of their visits.
Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu complained that sometimes, members meet their own expenses whenever they are abroad yet there is a budget that is meant to facilitate them.
Ms Buyu cited a case where a group went to France and was required to produce Covid-19 test certificates after every 24 hours, which should have been catered for by PSC.
“This was an official function and Parliament ought to have catered for the tests, but we were forced to do it from our pockets,” Ms Buyu said during the session on committee services.
“Clerks always treat this money as their own, but when you make noise about it, they tell you to bring receipts for reimbursement,” she added.
Lamu East MP Ruweida Obo said there is need to reveal to members the amount given to the secretariat to facilitate ground movement of MPs.
“Even if there is a specific amount, we need to know the maximum and minimum amount,” Ms Obo said.
Tinderet MP Julius Melly said : “At times there is an issue but you don’t know the existence of such cash.”
Ms Florence Abonyo from the directorate said Parliament only caters for MPs official movement.
“We only cater for official work, for instance, movement from your hotel to the meeting station. However, members cater for their own trips whenever they go out for their own shopping or movement around the area they are in,” Ms Abonyo said.
She told the lawmakers to report any case of mismanagement of funds by the secretariat for appropriate action.
Director of departmental committees Peter Chemweno said the amount given to the secretariat to facilitate easy movement of MPs whenever they are on the ground for parliamentary duties differs with the destination.
“We have no straight answer on the amount because when you go to Singapore, Geneva or any other place, the amount is not the same,” Mr Chemweno said.
