- Members of Parliament attending the East African Community Parliamentary Games opted to travel by rail instead of air, in line with government austerity measures
- Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula emphasized the move as a measure to reduce costs and save taxpayers' money
- The MPs noted the importance of using public facilities that they are advocating, such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
- The change saved more than KSh 1.8 million for 50 MPs compared to air travel, showing the government's commitment to reducing costs
Nairobi – In a show of commitment to the government's austerity measures, MPs attending the East African Community Parliamentary Games chose to travel by rail instead of their usual flights.
Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula, speaking at the Nairobi Railway Station on Friday, December 6, said the move was part of a deliberate decision by the Assembly to reduce unnecessary expenses and save taxpayers' money.
“We consciously decided as Parliament that, joining other Kenyans in observing the austerity measures imposed by the President, we will reduce our air travel costs by using the SGR train,” Wetang'ula explained.
Lawmakers also defended the decision, saying that this experience helped them better understand the daily struggles of the public.
Member of Parliament for Alego Usonga, Samuel Atandi said it is good to have feelings about what MPs are trying to ensure is provided for Kenyans.
“In the future, let the members of parliament use some of these public facilities because we cannot build such facilities for other Kenyans while we leaders do not use them,” Atandi said.
How does train travel compare to air travel?
A round-trip flight ticket to Mombasa normally costs KSh 70,000 per MP, but a ticket for Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) costs KSh 10,000 only.
For MPs, this resulted in savings of more than KSh 60,000 per person, a move that was seen as a step towards accountability to public concerns about government spending.
Some MPs chose the Premium VIP Coach, which costs KSh 12,000 per person, while others chose the First Class Coach for KSh 4,500, thus reducing travel costs even more.
The total cost of the return trip for about 50 MPs who were traveling by SGR came to about KSh 1.2 million, much less than the KSh 3 million it would have cost if they had traveled with Kenya Airways.
The decision comes following a public outcry over what many Kenyans consider to be government abuse.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
