Uganda MPs Receive 384 iPads as Kenya Mulls the Same

Uganda’s parliament has bought iPads to all its 375 MPs at a cost of Ksh 32 million ($370,000), saying that the tablets will make the lawmakers more efficient by allowing them to access official documents while travelling.The total number of iPads delivered to the parliament is 384.

The MPs who voted themselves more salaries (now earns Ksh 700,000) like their Kenyan counterparts are also set to receive Ksh 3.5 million ($41,000) in car loans. They can as well afford iPads but they decided to put the bill on the already heavily burdened tax payers.

Parliamentary commissioner Emmanuel Dombo claim that the money used for the purchase had been generated by reducing budget for stationery. Many Ugandans criticised the purchase while complaining that they are already paying too much for the upkeep of their MPs.

Meanwhile, Kenyan parliament is also planning to spend Ksh 17 million to equip its 349 MPs with the mobile devices. Kenyan MPs will be bought the devices through the Parliamentary Service Commission so as “to read the house rules on the go.”