MPs fail to honour food donation

By Patrick Beja

Coast MPs are yet to deliver food aid to 900,000 starving residents three months after they launched an initiative to raise funds.

It emerged yesterday that rifts among the region’s 23 MPs had made the Saidia Pwani initiative (Help Coast) established on January 11 to support hungry families a flop.

Yesterday, Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) Chairman Ben Gunda, who led MPs in launching the fund, admitted that no progress had been made since Parliament went on recess in February.

"Nothing much has been done. We are planning to meet this week over the initiative," said the Bahari MP on the telephone.

The chairman of the initiative’s famine sub-committee and Kisauni MP Hassan Joho said he had just arrived from abroad and needed time to consult other MPs.

"I am aware some MPs raised funds for the initiative but I need time to consult," said Mr Joho.

Political divisions

Sources within the CPG attributed the failure for the fund to political divisions.

When they launched the initiative, the legislators pledged to raise Sh200,000 each.

But yesterday, sources said most MPs who were behind the initiative had not given their donations.

According to the sources, only five MPs had paid before Parliament went on recess.

 

 

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