MPs sendoff perk dominates campaign rallies

Written By:Rose Welimo/Sources,    Posted: Sun, Oct 07, 2012

Martha Karua of Narc-Kenya urged Kenyans to focus on candidates who can perform and bring change Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi Sunday called for the amendment to the finance bill that has proposed a hefty gratuity payment to the Members of Parliament saying it does not augur well emerging immediately after the Country came out of labor unrest in the public sector. "In view of the existence of the Salaries Review and Remuneration Commission (SRRC) and agitation by the public, Parliament may have sent a negative signal with this award. I ask the President to hold his accent to allow the agency do its work", said Mudavadi. Mudavadi appealed to President Mwai Kibaki to keenly listen to public concerns and advice Parliament against the award. "The President should reconsider the bill with the proposition for possible amendments. Salaries Remuneration and Review Commission to be proactive to come on board actively to such to prevent such actions in future", he said. The DPM who is on his third day tour of the coast region said while in Kwale County that the recent spate of industrial action by in the education and health sectors and now Parliament action may be signal that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission  is sluggish in its mandate. "The Commission needs to swing into action like yesterday and guide the country because workforce instability will create high costs of labor and even threaten investments", he said. He was speaking at a meeting of Kwale County UDF aspirants at Diani Forest Lodge on Sunday, when he received party defectors who decamped from other parties to seek leadership on the party including former MP Simon Mkalla from Wiper Democratic party who will be seeking Kwale Governor and Civic leaders from Shirikisho Party. Elsewhere, RBK presidential Aspirant Prof. James Ole Kiyiapi has scoffed at Members of Parliament as being selfish and self centered at the expense of the common mwenyenchi. Speaking in Limuru Kiyiapi decried the way the MP's awarded themselves gratuity last Thursday, yet the government was categorical that there was no money to pay teachers and doctors.  He warned Kenyans against electing such leaders again and urged Kenyans to use the next general elections as a referendum against this MP's. Narc-Kenya Presidential aspirant Martha Karua, said that the coalition government led by the two principals should go home saying they have mismanaged the country towards poor leadership. Addressing a crowd at Kiganjo market Karua  urged the president not to sign the MPs salaries package of 9.5million each at the end of their tem in January. She however urged Kenyans to focus on candidates who can perform and bring change. Economic change Meanwhile, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Sunday Kenya was on the threshold of a major political and economic change but cautioned that this would only be realized if they elected   reform minded leaders into government during the forthcoming general election. He said if elected into government an ODM government will fast track development in the marginal lands previously called the Northern Frontier District (NFD) by the colonial government and perpetuated by successive independent governments, to be in tandem with other areas in the country. Noting that Kenya's time for change was now, the Prime Minister asked Kenyans to seize the opportunity and choose change over status quo by electing an ODM government in the next general election. He was speaking at a Samburu leaders meeting   and later at a rally at  Maralal stadium  at the conclusion of his two day tour of Samburu county. Odinga decried insecurity among the pastoralist communities saying it had caused unnecessary loss of lives and property among the Samburu, Turkana, Pokot and other pastoralist communities in upper eastern and north eastern regions. Noting that the insecurity had been worsened by the frequent cattle rustling among the communities, Odinga said there was need for a comprehensive security strategy that will completely eliminate the vice in the region. He said, "These strategy must go beyond the borders of the affected counties and include the neighboring countries because part of the insecurity in Kenya comes from beyond our borders." On education, the Prime Minister said due to the migratory nature of the pastoralist communities in search of pasture for their animals, mobile schools would be set up in the region to cater for their children. He said it was unfortunate that due to the nature of the region now called arid and semi arid lands (ASAL) the standards of education in the area were low compared to other areas in the country adding it needed affirmative action to uplift the standards to acceptable levels. Odinga singled out the girl child education as the most affected noting that some of the measures put in place to improve their performance was the distribution of free feminine towels to primary and secondary school girls. He added that  it is evident that the poor performance of girls in the rural areas and among the urban poor could be attributed to lack of these essential  items for the girls some of whom have to miss lessons for up to a week every month due to lack of the sanitary towels. "We are also appealing to parents in this region and others that practice female genital mutilation to stop the harmful practice and find an alternative passage to adulthood for their girls," he added. The PM was accompanied by the Minister for Industrialization and ODM chairman Henry Kosgey, Assistant Ministers Simeon Lesrma , Joseph Nkaiserry , John Mbadi and Josephat Nanok and MP for Samburu East, Raphael Letimalo.