Belgut Member of Parliament (MP) Nelson Koech responded to former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s accusations that the Kenya Kwanza government was not funding his office.
In a national TV interview on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, Koech claimed that Uhuru was exaggerating the issue for political reasons.
This follows a statement by Uhuru Kenyatta’s spokesperson, Kanze Dena, on Monday, in which Kenyatta alleged that his office had been deprived of its rightful budgetary allocations.
“Uhuru Kenyatta should be the last person to demand his pension. There is a code of conduct for all civil servants, which is why you haven’t heard complaints from figures like Moody Awori, Kalonzo Musyoka, or Raila Odinga, who benefit from the same scheme,” Koech stated.
Koech argued that it was insensitive for the former president to demand a large budgetary allocation while the nation is grappling with an economic crisis. He maintained that Kenyatta’s allegations were merely a political stunt and that the former president should address the issue through the appropriate channels.
“The vehicles allocated to the former president were not new. In fact, they were part of his motorcade when he left Kasarani Stadium during the inauguration ceremony. It was agreed that he would use these vehicles on a transitional basis until new ones could be procured,” Koech added.
Uhuru Kenyatta had raised concerns about the old cars he was using, arguing that he needed new ones. He also accused the government of not adhering to the provisions in the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act.
“Kenyans are suffering, and it is important to understand the public’s struggles. It is unfair for a former president, who is evidently enjoying privileges from the government and traveling the world, to still demand more money when he is aware of the state of the economy,” Koech argued.
