House fails to provide list of delegates in US trip – Daily Nation

The National Assembly on Thursday went for a one-month recess without providing a list of members and staff who travelled for a legislative conference in the US that has caused furore after Kenya sent the largest delegation of 85 people.

Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi (Kuresoi North MP) failed to provide a list of the MPs and staff who had travelled to the US despite promising to do so.

On Wednesday, Mr Cheboi, acting on Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati’s request, promised to deliver the statement clarifying the matter after MPs complained that the number was exaggerated.

But on Thursday, Mr Cheboi went quiet and the statement he had promised was nowhere to be seen.

Majority Leader Aden Duale had demanded that the list of MPs who travelled be made public to demystify claims of the huge delegation.

FUNDS MISUSE

On Thursday, MP Adan Keynan, who had been listed as among those who had travelled, clarified that he had not gone for the conference and that he was in Nairobi.

ODM leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday demanded answers from the Senate and National Assembly following a report that Parliament will spend tens of millions of shillings for lawmakers to attend the meeting.

The report by the Nation said that taxpayers’ money will cater for flights and accommodation for 85 legislators, including from county assemblies and members of staff — the largest in the world — to attend a legislative assembly in Nashville, Tennessee.

Mr Odinga noted in a statement that the National Assembly, “in a rare show of unity and characteristic defensive show of anger, threatened the media house and demanded an apology”.

TECHNOLOGY

He however said that the “strange rage” displayed does not clear the House and its leaders.

A number of the Kenyan participants, who had posted on social media their photos and videos on the visit, pulled them down following the Nation exposé.

On Thursday, the conference focused on “moving forward with autonomous vehicles”.

The participants were told autonomous vehicles picked up speed in 2018 and 2019, from testing and deployment of driverless technology to new state laws to updated federal guidance.

Here, we reveal the names of what was the largest delegation in the world to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The list was provided by the organisers of the conference but the Nation on Thursday learned some of those listed cancelled their trip.