Wetangula Dismisses Claims MPs Are Spending Taxpayers' Money To Travel To Ethiopia

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula on Thursday, February 13 dismissed claims that the majority of Members of Parliament travelling to Ethiopia for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson elections were being sponsored by the government.

Addressing the House, Wetangula confirmed receiving communication from 40 MPs regarding their plans to travel to Addis Ababa to support former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. 

However, he noted that the 40 MPs would be bearing their own costs from the trip, despite criticism of excessive government spending, particularly on foreign travel.

"In line with our Standing Orders, I have received 40 notifications from members intending to attend the activity. For clarity, these members will be travelling in their personal capacity as citizens and leaders and therefore, self-sponsored," he clarified.

"We laud them for that patriotic duty. It is not unusual for MPs to sponsor themselves to attend such high-level events."

However, the Speaker confirmed that the State will only cover the travel expenses of four legislators. They include Nelson Koech (Belgut MP and Chairperson of the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee) and Lydia Haika (Taita Taveta Women Rep and Chairperson of the Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee).

The four MPs will travel with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegations. Leaders from across the political divide are expected to spend the weekend in Ethiopia before the AUC elections on Saturday, February 15.

The lawmakers formed part of the Kenyan delegation to Ethiopia, which included President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. The delegation is expected to support Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.

On Wednesday, February 12, Mudavadi who spoke on the sidelines of the opening session of the African Union’s 46th Executive Council in Addis Ababa, defended the move, highlighting that the administration was aware of the economic situation and, therefore, ensured that the delegation remained modest in every aspect.

"This is an important summit; an election summit. This summit is about electing the new AUC chair and other factors. The government delegation has always been led by the president of the Republic of Kenya, President Ruto, I am the minister for foreign affairs and we have officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who anchor this process and we have a mission here.

"Our delegation is not extraordinary, we are conscious of the economic situation in Kenya and I want Kenyans to appreciate this. We have a lean delegation coming here," he outlined, without revealing specific numbers in terms of the delegation, excluding the reported number of lawmakers.

The reports that emerged regarding the 100 MPs joining the Kenyan delegation sparked online outrage, given that Kenyan taxpayers' money was a key point of focus in terms of the travel expenditure from Nairobi to Addis Ababa.