Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has strongly criticised fellow legislators for parading contributions at public functions as economic empowerment, describing such acts as misleading and a waste of time.
Speaking on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Salasya questioned the logic behind MPs boasting about raising millions through harambees instead of addressing deeper structural issues affecting Kenya’s economy.
“How can we as MPs, maybe not all of them, celebrate economic empowerment programmes, harambee shenanigans of calling people, wasting their time, and contributing Ksh5 million or Ksh4 million and then say we have helped the community or constituency?” he asked.
Salasya argued that lawmakers have neglected their core role of oversight, particularly questioning the government’s inefficiency in facilitating procurement by state agencies. “We have forgotten as MPs to ask why the government has refused any agencies to procure anything in this country. Yet they are saying they want Kenya to be like Singapore. A government that has not been running, you cannot even buy a pen from June to September. Everything is at a standstill,” he added.
While acknowledging that economic empowerment programmes are among the few initiatives currently functional, Salasya urged leaders to invest in sustainable projects that can truly transform communities. “If at all we are serious, why can’t we channel those resources so that people can be trained and tracked in business, instead of handouts that people will eat and forget?” he questioned.
He also warned against abrupt policy shifts that disrupt service delivery, emphasizing the need for proper transition processes.
Salasya’s remarks come days after President William Ruto urged leaders to support the recently launched e-procurement system, designed to improve transparency and accountability in public procurement. The system, which will be accessible online, aims to curb corruption, misuse of public funds, and overpricing in public institutions. Despite initial challenges, the President assured that the platform’s teething problems are being addressed to ensure value for public resources.
