House of Greed! Day MPs complained about food

House of Greed! Day MPs complained about food

Mandazi. Photo foodandmeal.com

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

The National Assembly is an animal farm.  An MP led his committee to go to Europe, Asia and Africa to learn how to cook after complaining to about less than enough food in his plate.

He is not alone. After parting with Sh.2000 food fee, the MPs now feel that their appetite is far from being satisfied after it emerged that the MPs have turned the parliamentary restaurant to a high school dining hall. Those who arrive first scoop the top layer with the biggest ladle the chef has while the late comers do with gravel.

What is defeating is that the said catering and health committee organized trip never considered the main actors: the cooks. The MPs were to share the per diems among themselves only and go and represent their constituents including the cooks. What’s more, they will come back and teach their colleague who never had the chance to fly out for the culinary classes.

Perhaps what the deteriorating catering standards exposes is the greed in the house that has openly declared the Senate as the lower chamber yet it covets the food cooked at the KICC-bound Senate.

STOOPING TOO LOW

In a country where half of the country does not get the privilege of affording three decent meals per day the demands by Majority Leader Aden Duale that the cupcakes and maandazis are poorly leaven and Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo that he enjoys every bit of the bite, the development could pass for an insult at the intelligence of more than 42,000,000 taxpayers.

I guess these Hons are having a #MangitiMoment as they accidentally revealed that they were too many and are crowding the kitchens and washrooms of the hallowed house. The law makers could not stick to tagging along at most two visitors. They now bring hordes of groupies who attack the eatery without mercy. When the house had 290 it was more orderly than now at 349. There was no much pushing and shoving like now.

In a country where the 15 seconds of pulpit are the mileage the politicians crave for, apart from funerals and fundraisers, it is only at the floor of the House where the MPs have a chance to hog the limelight like the proverbial moths. It is unfair Mr. Speaker, for honourable members to compete to catch your attention while worrying whether their orders at the kitchen are still safe or the MP who sneaked out under the guise of answering a call of nature showed up at the kitchen to scoop reserved dishes.

All those years the cooks work on temporary basis while their masters have never thought of hiring them on permanent basis. Shame shame shame!