How MPs were ‘blackmailed’ to raise country’s debt ceiling to Sh9 trillion

By , K24 Digital
On Sun, 10 Nov, 2019 12:26 | < 1 min read
Parliament
Parliament. PHOTO | FILE
Parliament. PHOTO | FILE

Fresh details have emerged of how Treasury officials hoodwinked National Assembly members to increase the debt ceiling to Sh9 trillion.

Several MPs who sought anonymity revealed how officials invited them to meetings at the National Treasury office and warned them against not supporting the move as this would affect cash allocated to fund roads in their constituencies.

The legislators, who attended the meetings that were convened days before the vote on the ceiling was taken, revealed that Treasury officials gave MPs a list of ongoing road projects in their constituencies which they were made to understood would only be funded if they supported raising the debt ceiling.

“Many members passed this debt ceiling to save the little projects that were funded in the budget read in June. They had no choice but to support the motion because by not doing so their constituencies would be affected,” said one of the MPs.

K24 Digital established that the MP were informed that the government had not met its revenue targets and the road funds would be first to go in austerity measures.

The cash, the MPS were told, would only be reinstated once the government’ debt ceiling was increased to Sh9 trillion.

“This thing was very well crafted. I was personally called and told that if I failed to support the budget ceiling, the two roads in my constituency would be affected because of inadequate funding,” said another MP who attended one of the meetings.