Legislators lobby for trip to Japan to watch Malkia Strikers play at World Championship
A group of Members of Parliament and Senators approached Speaker Justin Muturi last week with a request to travel to Japan to watch Malkia Strikers play at the 2018 FIVB World Championship.
The lawmakers, who have never visited the national women volleyball team’s training camp at the Kasarani gymnasium for the past month, requested for approval of their 14-day trip at taxpayers’ expense.
They include Senators Irungu Kangata (Murang’a), Andrew Langat (Bomet), Christin Zawadi, Beatrice Kwamboka and Victor Prengei (nominated).
Others are MPs Beatrice Kones (Bomet East) and Dan Wanyama (Webuye West).
MILLIONS OF SHILLINGS
The request include approval for air tickets to Korube, Japan, meals and accommodation, match tickets to the gymnasium and per diems, all amounting to millions of shillings.
Speaker Muturi is said to have rejected the request early this week.
“The Speaker has rejected our request that we travel to Japan to watch our own girls take on others from across the world. It is unfair because our colleagues were allowed to go to Russia (World Cup) despite Kenya not being represented,” one the affected legislators explained.
Nairobi News can confirm that Dan Wanyama, a former Kenya international volleyball player, was the only legislator who toured Kasarani to watch the team train.
Malkia Strikers’ preparations for the international competition were far from ideal, with the players lacking essential amenities.
NO BUILD UP MATCH
The ladies failed to play any international build up match, instead settling to facing off against local men teams so as to ‘rake up stamina’.
In the end, the team received and accepted a proposal from well-wishers in Japan for a week-long camping session ahead of the tournament which begins on Saturday.
Kenya, currently handled by coach Japheth Munala, will be based in Hamamatsu and are pooled in Group ‘D’ against Brazil, Dominican Republic, Serbia, Puerto Rico and Kazakhstan.