Safina Party deputy leader designate Willis Evans Otieno has launched a sharp attack on Members of Parliament over a recent legislative retreat in Naivasha, accusing them of hypocrisy and excess as Kenyans struggle with high taxes and rising living costs.

In a post on X dated February 1, 2026, Otieno criticised lawmakers for holding a five-day retreat at a high-end Naivasha resort, saying their conduct contradicted public calls for austerity.

“These are not leaders, they are parasites in suits,” Otieno wrote. “While wananchi skip meals, they gather in Naivasha to eat five courses, burn fuel in convoys, switch on sirens for ego, and congratulate each other for absolutely nothing. This is not retreat. It’s a loot symposium.”

He accused MPs of taxing essential goods while spending public funds on luxury. “They tax bread, milk, fuel then spend the proceeds on buffets and Benzes. That’s not incompetence; that’s contempt. Contempt for suffering, for work, for dignity,” Otieno stated.

He further argued that Parliament lacked the moral authority to ask citizens to tighten their belts. “You cannot preach austerity with a full mouth and a wine glass in hand,” he added.

Public anger over spending

Otieno’s remarks echoed growing public criticism of parliamentary spending, with images and reports from the retreat circulating widely online.

The retreat, which focused on legislative priorities ahead of the 2027 General Election, drew attention for its luxury setting, cleared roads, motorcades, and hospitality at a time of mounting public debt.

Otieno notes that the retreat highlighted the contrast between parliamentary privilege and the economic strain facing ordinary households. The coverage questioned the cost and timing of the retreat amid higher taxes on basic commodities and cuts to public services.

Otieno likened Kenya’s political class to swamp creatures that “feed without producing” and “survive by sucking life from elsewhere,” arguing that political elites had become detached from the realities facing citizens.

Warnings and wider debate

Drawing historical parallels, Otieno warned of consequences when leaders lose touch with the public. “When elites detach completely, they eventually meet the people not at ballot boxes, but in moments they never planned for. Ask Marie Antoinette. Ask Ceaușescu,” he wrote.

The criticism comes as the government advances fiscal consolidation measures aimed at stabilising public finances, moves that have disproportionately affected low- and middle-income households.