The National Assembly has dismissed allegations that Members of Parliament (MPs) mismanaged allowances intended for their bodyguards and drivers, terming the claims as false, inaccurate, and sensational.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge, refuted the accusations, which were attributed to Speaker Moses Wetang’ula in an article published by a local daily.
“From the outset, we wish to note that the allegations are false, inaccurate, and sensational. The statement attributed to the Speaker of the National Assembly is entirely untrue and a fictitious creation of the author of the publication,” read part of the statement.
According to Njoroge, the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024, had resulted in significant budget cuts for Parliament.
He explained that these reductions affected various allocations, including foreign and domestic travel, purchase of equipment, hospitality, and constituency office budgets, which previously covered allowances for bodyguards and drivers.
“In the current financial year, 2024-25, funds have not been allocated in the National Assembly’s budget for the said allowances. The allowances are therefore not available as alleged in the misguided newspaper article, a fact that MPs and their bodyguards and drivers have been duly informed of,” he stated.
Njoroge emphasised that since the funds are not part of the current budget, there is no possibility of misappropriation by MPs.
He further clarified that allowances for bodyguards and drivers had historically been provided under the Parliamentary Service Commission’s policy to facilitate official duties. However, he noted that there had been no formal complaints regarding the denial or misuse of such allowances during this period.
“The issue of allowances for bodyguards and drivers was not an agenda item at the recently concluded National Assembly Leadership Retreat held from October 27 to 30, 2024, in Nakuru County,” he added.
The Clerk criticised the article’s author for failing to verify the facts before publication.
“Had the author sought prior clarification, the facts would have been readily provided. We urge the particular author to strive for objectivity in reporting, seek clarification from relevant offices, and avoid making unfounded allegations or alarming reports about Parliament and its Members,” Njoroge concluded.
