When I see Mercedes Benz with GK plates, I frown. It stopped being a favourite brand of mine many years ago when I realized that those who pull wool over Kenyans eyes are chauffeured around in them. I recently read that Kenyan judges have been bought for new Mercedes Benz vehicles, because “that’s what they’ve been used to.” Was there anything wrong with the older ones?
The government is not broke then. I read that with a raised eyebrow. We’re being taxed more, paying more for items such as fuel and then we get news that a new fleet of Mercedes Benz cars are being bought for judges. Just who makes these decisions in the first place? The police were on a go slow because they demanded better pay, the government was and still is being reluctant to meet their demands. However, one individual somewhere went to the dealerships with a purchase order for a fleet of new cars.
Was the government not telling us that they’re broke, just the other day?
I’ve seen new Subaru police vehicles (try and run away now – you will definitely be caught), some bright green Chinese MG 6s, and, most recently, these new cars for the judges. What’s happening to the old ones? Are they being reclaimed and sold to the public via auction – that we never hear of – or are they sitting in a parking lot gathering dust?
The government’s expenditure versus the demands of the economy is similar to bad parenting. Those parents that buy themselves lavish things and neglect their children’s basic requirements. I think Kenyan’s have reached a point of exasperation. That point where one is so fed up with the affairs of the government that they can only frown and move on. Is this how our hard earned money is being spent? Well, at least Mercedes Benz is still assured of a strong presence on the roads. It’s amazing that it is still a brand that is adored by upwardly mobile Kenyans. If this were France, people would loathe the brand because of the associated image of corruption.
We have a much more important event coming up, the general elections in March. If the government is claiming to be broke, and buying luxurious cars whilst they’re at it, what will happen when actual money is needed to pay electoral officials? Those people that man the polling stations, extra pay for the police to guard the stations day and night, extra fuel money for transporting the voting kits and so on. The budget for the elections is not a small one.
All I can do is hope that the government and it’s ministries knows what they’re doing.