The first Kajiado Central MP, Geoffrey Parsaoti has broken his silence in the wave of corruption scandals that have hit the country.
Though he has retired from politics, Parsaoti says that as a leader, he cannot keep his mouth shut as his motherland drifts into its deathbed as corruption takes away its very soul.
“ President Uhuru Kenyatta has to deal decisively on these criminals who are looting our country. He has to show leadership as former President Moi did during our time.He must be willing to sacrifice his friends as well and save the country,” says the fiery politician matter-of-factly.
At 65 years of age, Parsaoti says he has the moral authority to advise the current leadership including the current crop of people’s representatives in Kajiado County.
“I challenge leaders in Kajiado County to speak out about this cancer of corruption that is destroying our Republic. Let us desist from bringing politics into current investigations and let the law take its course” says the leader who now enjoys his retirement at Konza area in Kajiado East.
Parsaoti, who joined politics in 1979 just one year after Moi took over power after the death of the President Jomo Kenyatta, says indeed Moi was a professor of politics.
“I remember him so well. He steered this country as president for 24 years. During his tenure there were few corruption cases as we see daily in Kenya today because of his leadership quality,” he claimed, adding: “Although those in opposition saw him as a dictator, Moi meant good for the country.” says Parsaoti .
The politician blames investigators of mega corruption for doing shoddy work before lining up their cases against corrupt individuals in court.
“The Auditor General is doing a good job to expose corruption in Government, but the police have since gone to bed with criminals. We cannot purport to blame the courts for not jailing the corrupt individuals but the police who have let down the justice system in the country,” states Parsaoti.
“Police have all the details of Auditor General’s reports on crime in the National Youth Service, the Kenya Pipeline Company and the maize scandal taking place now, but have refused to arrest those they deem as sacred cows and lords of corruption,” he claimed.
Parsaoti was first elected as Kaputiei North councillor in 1979, and in 1988 he was elected as the first Kajiado Central MP after the constituency was carved out of Kajiado North and Kajiado South.
At the time Stanley Shapashina Oloitiptip was Kajiado South MP, while John Keen was representing Kajiado North as MP.
“As MP during my time, my salary was Sh18, 000 per month and we were not receiving mileage allowance or sitting allowance as is today in the current Parliament. We were expected to pay rent with the same in Nairobi,” said Parsaoti, who only served for one term.
Parsaoti was a member of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament for five years as MP.
Asked what he remembers as the best thing he did to his constituency, Parsaoti says he at one time invited the late mayor of Kabarnet, Philemon Chelagat for a fundraiser for all the schools in Kajiado Central; a function which was a resounding success.
Chelagat, who was also an ally of former President Moi, was known to be a generous politician who could give out his life to save others in terms of fundraisers. Parsaoti says the politics of those days and today is like night and day time.
“Today MPs have development kitties in the name of Constituency Development Fund. Members of the county assembly do also have development money unlike in our time when we only operated with our salaries to raise funds for various groups in the constituency,” explains Parsaoti.
The former MP says during his time, the president was the most feared individual in the land. The MPs were disciplined and took president’s orders as doctrine.
“No one could point a finger at the president as a Kanu MP lest you are thrown behind bars. Former President Moi had a grip of his supporters and intelligence people in the grassroots. He knew what was happening in every corner of the country,” recalls Parsaoti.
On advice to Kajiado Maasai, Parsaoti said people have to change with the times, adding that land is shrinking faster than before, and with climate change the local Maasai should embrace modern farming and livestock raring.
“The land is drying up faster than before and our people must be prepared for the worst by changing the kind of livestock we keep. People should learn how to store hay to be used during drought. People must keep Sahiwal and Boran cattle that can save them in times of financial need,” said the politician.
After quitting politics, Parsaoti resorted to farming and now keeps Boran livestock in his Konza farm in Kajiado East.
He appealed to Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko to construct more secondary schools in the constituency so that children completing primary education should not be travelling miles away to other counties in search of secondary schools.
After having served for one term, Parsaoti did not seek another chance in 1992 and his seat was taken over by former assistant minister David Sankori for two terms before the late Major (Rtd) Joseph Nkaissery came in 2003.