The Cost of Having a Prime Minister

It is official and in print: The tax payer shall cough out a whooping 33, 000, 000 to refurbish the private homes of Raila Odinga who is also the Prime Minister of Kenya.

If anybody still thinks Kibaki is a fool, that person better think twice.

Here is the big picture:

1. Kibaki has just rejected 5 or more luxury vehicles. The vehicles were not even personal but belonged to the state which then allowed him (Kibaki) to use. He would be required to surrender them on the 29th of December 2012 or upon resignation or death (whichever comes first).

2. Raila has just accepted to have his private home to be refurbished using government money. None of the improvements will belong to the government. He will keep the improvements and reap all the benefits whenever he leaves office. In event another prime minister comes to office, the state would have to spend the same or more money to bring the new person's residencies up to Prime Minister level.

A number of questions arise here:

3. Is Raila aware that real people are dying in Kenya as a result of food shortages? How does this play to the donors and others well-wishers who are being asked to bail out Kenya? Does he need a house in Mombasa as well?

I would have supported a new house being bought for the Prime Minister which would remain state property even when Raila ceases to be PM. May be somebody could have spoken to Moi to allow his former house in Kabarnet Gardens to return to the State for use by the PM. The government could also reposess some of the buildings and plots it once sold to well connected individuals in the 80s and 90s at throw away prices, well, on the same terms as they were sold. Whaever the case, more questions arise:

4. Does Raila and ODM still think they are on the side of wanainchi and Kibaki is not? Is Raila aware that 33 million is what it takes to educate 55 university students with each earning a Bachelors degree?

We have seen some level of wastefullness on the part of Raila that is fast creating a pattern that will be too hard to run away from.