EMBU MCAs to earn KSh 520,000 each while learning Good Manners in Arusha

 All the 33 Embu MCAs have travelled to Arusha Tanzania for a two-week training session after adjourning Assembly sittings from 1st December 2021 to 8th February 2022.

This is the second training trip for the MCAs who had also flown to Arusha again in September to learn basic etiquette and campaign language to enable them mount proper campaigns in an effort to recapture their seats in the 2022 General Elections.

In the trip to learn good manners and how to court voters, the MCAs earn per diem allowances of US$ 332 while in Arusha Tanzania, which translates to KSh 37,184 per day by the current dollar exchange rate to the Kenyan shilling of KSh 112 and therefore each MCA has pocketed KSh 520,576 for the 14 days they will be staying in the neighbouring country.

Together with the Speaker, Clerk and a few staff members of the Assembly, the MCAs will be consuming about KSh 20 Million of taxpayers funds, plus travel costs of an additional two or three million training fees to be paid to the East and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI).

Money transferred

In a recent Supplementary Budget passed at the County Assembly, the MCAs plucked a whopping KSh 10 Million from the County Assembly Sports Association (CASA) games kitty and transferred the funds to their foreign travel account to enable them travel to Tanzania after depleting the account with the earlier trip.

The MCAs who were overheard complaining that they were broke swore to push for more trips to earn them enough money to finance their retirement after some realized that the ground had shifted against their leadership and therefore, they may not make it back to the Assembly next year.

The politicians are also rushing to earn enough money for campaigns and to repay a KSh 600,000 tax debt for the KSh 2Million Car Loan that was gifted to them by President Uhuru Kenyatta in an effort to lubricate them into sliding the Building Bridges Initiative past the County Assemblies.

A few Ward Reps who did not travel with their counterparts will be claiming their per diem allowances in full despite having not travelled to Tanzania. Several others are also expected to return to Embu for campaigns in their Wards after arriving at Arusha.

The MCAs have also milked millions of shillings from around 50 retreats to Nairobi and Mombasa hotels this year, but have only enacted two Bills into Law; the County Budget and Supplementary Budget.

Embu senator Njeru Ndwiga has lambasted the MCAs for the trend of going abroad for matters that can be tackled within their home county.

"You will not find our MCAs in Embu. They are always on the move to Tanzania and Nairobi and this is wastage of public resources", said Mr Ndwiga.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI