National Assembly Finance Committee Chairman and Molo Member of Parliament Kimani Kuria has disclosed he received Kes 168,000 from Kenyans who sent money ranging from Kes 1 to Kes 10 as they sought to confirm his number.
He made the revelation in parliament as he moved the Finance Bill 2024 for the second reading, which opened room for debate on the bill's provisions on Wednesday morning.
“Some of the Kenyans were generous to send us one shilling to ten shillings to confirm whether our numbers were authentic. I have written to the clerk wondering what to do with the Kes 168,000 sent to my M-Pesa.”
The Molo MP said that the Public Officer Ethics Act and Leadership and Integrity Act explicitly prohibit accepting gifts or donations that could create a conflict of interest or compromise their official duties.
“Receiving those gifts is against the laws of our republic and therefore I will be seeking guidance on what to do with the money because I tried reversing the one shilling and two shilling and it was impossible. I want to thank Kenyans for your generosity,” Kuria stated.
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Kenyans from all walks of life mobilized to express their opposition to the Finance Bill 2024 through social media platforms, community groups, and advocacy organizations.
An influential X personality, Amerix, started the hashtag #RespectMyHustle, under which he galvanized Kenyans into action, telling them to directly call their respective Members of Parliament and ask them to vote down the Finance Bill 2024.
Leading from the front, Amerix rolled out a list of phone numbers belonging to various legislators, encouraging his followers and Kenyans at large to share more phone numbers and deliver the message boldly.
Citizens were urged to text their MPs, highlighting the adverse effects the bill would have on their daily lives.
Messages flooded MPs’ phones, sharing personal stories of economic hardship, urging them to vote against the bill, and reminding them of their duty to represent the people’s interests.
