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Lead by example, Njue urges President
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- Published on Tuesday, 30 December 2008 19:59
"It is high time we all felt like members of one family in paying tax. We would wish to see that time when MPs will express solidarity with rest of Kenyans on this issue," Njue said. Sending a special appeal to the President, Njue said Kenyans were yearning for that time when legislators’ allowances would be taxed.
Speaking at Gusii Stadium during a fundraiser towards building of a seminary by Catholic Diocese of Kisii, Njue said if rules were followed Kenyans would not be debating about MPs’ taxation issue.
Milking a cow
He said given the difficult economic times MPs input was needed. "If MPs don’t want to be taxed on their allowances and we know where they draw the money from, it’s like milking a cow without feeding it," Njue said much to the chagrin of the president, three Cabinet Ministers and a host of local MPs who listened pensively as he spoke.
But a mammoth crowd in the stadium cheered on Njue chanting: "Tell them, they must pay tax like us." Njue spoke before President Kibaki, Cabinet Ministers Sam Ongeri, Chris Obure and George Saitoti. Others present were Assistant Ministers James Gesami, Richard Onyonka, Joel Onyancha and Omingo Magara and MPs Dr Robert Monda, Walter Nyambati, Wilfred Ombui and Charles Onyancha.
However, when President Kibaki rose to speak, just like most of the MPs, he steered clear of issue. But Monda accused his colleagues now willing to pay tax of being insincere. He said they should have opposed the Bill against MPs’ paying taxes on their allowances when it came up in Parliament for debate.
Insincerity
"When the Bill came up in the floor of the House none of those now criticising it in the media opposed. I urge my colleagues to be reliable and stop changing like chameleons," said Monda.
The ten Kisii MPs decried insecurity in the eight local districts saying crime was on the rise. Ombui said his North Mugirango-Borabu constituency was most hit citing last week’s killing of Prof Japheth Maranga of Baraton University by gangsters in his residence.
"The upsurge in armed robberies is spontaneous in nature and seemingly there are many guns in wrong hands," Ombui said. Nyambati asked the Government to support people displaced in the post-election violence saying Kisii bore the blunt of the chaos.The MPs predicted hunger in Kisii following an influx of internal refuges to the region coupled with high cost of farm in puts.
Onyonka denounced injustices being meted against Kenyans saying what the Gusii community needed was respect. "We are a hard working community and only need Government to empower us and Kenyans would never go hungry," Magara said.
