Early in 2003, David Mwiriaria was a clean but green Finance Minister who succumbed to MP’s demands and gave them a hefty salary increase and car loan package. The move was ill-advised as it was the first move by parliament in the “newly-liberated” Kenya and led to teachers, police, healthcare and other workers all demanding their own salary increments from the new government, which Mwiraria said he could not afford.

Now two years later, Mwiraria is a tougher, but scarred Minister facing questions about his integrity & competence, with demands that he resign, and his only solace is the loyalty of his boss keeping him in his office. But since the President always takes the easy way out, he will instruct his Minster to accede to whatever parliament demands, so they vote his way

With MP’s asking for a Sh1.5 million Winding Allowance for each of the 222 MPs as a gratuity when the Ninth Parliament folds in 2007, it’s very hard to drum up sympathy for our broke MP’s.