This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
Kenya's Parliament has been under scrutiny for its lavish spending on foreign travels, with a recent report revealing that the institution spent a staggering KSh 1 billion on such trips in just nine months of the 2018-2019 financial year.
According to the Office of the Controller of Budget's national government budget implementation review report, the Parliamentary Service Commission alone spent KSh 497 million, while the National Assembly splurged KSh 510 million on foreign trips.
Other top spenders on trips abroad included the Foreign Affairs ministry, which spent around KSh 800 million, and the Sports ministry, which spent KSh 325 million.
These figures have sparked outrage, particularly in light of a recent controversy surrounding the largest delegation of Kenyan lawmakers to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in the United States.
Kenya emerged as the country with the highest number of MPs, MCAs, clerks, and support staff who flew to America to attend the international summit, with sources indicating that the US trip could have cost taxpayers around KSh 100 million.
Commission on Revenue Allocation notes that an MCA normally pockets KSh 42,000 per day as subsistence allowance for a trip to America, while MPs pocket KSh 65,000 each and Speakers of the two Houses receive KSh 75,000 each daily.
Their air tickets and accommodation were also paid for by the taxpayers.
