Lang'ata Member of Parliament (MP) Phelix Odiwuor, better known as Jalang'o, has once again found himself at the center of controversy due to a recent comment he made on Instagram.
In what initially seemed like a harmless expression of his aspirations, Jalang'o's post received backlash after it was shared by another social media account.
The Instagram post in question read, "Range Rover 2022, eeishh you are in my mind, I can't sleep. I will get you someday Inshallah! My day is done. I have manifested. Now let me go and hustle."
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Netizens were quick to criticize the young influential MP, asserting that he couldn't afford such a luxurious car on his parliamentary salary, implying that there might be other undisclosed sources of income involved.
In response to the public's criticism, Jalang'o explained that he indeed cannot afford the car with his current salary.
He clarified that he didn't join politics to amass wealth, emphasizing that working in government is often seen as a curse, with everyone assuming that politicians are thieves.
He drew an analogy, likening a politician's situation to that of a woman who wakes up in the morning to go to work but is accused of having a man who pays for her expenses.
Jalang'o asserted that entering politics with the sole intention of making money is a recipe for disappointment, unless one is fortunate enough to secure lucrative government tenders.
"Kufanya kazi Government inakaa ni curse kubwa saana! Immediately you get in everybody sees you as a thief! Ni kama dame anammka asubuhi anafanya job lakini anaambiwa kuna mbaba analipia!
"If you get into politics to make money uta sota mbaya unless you are lucky upate those big tenders za government wich ndio upate wee!," he wrote.
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He further explained that even the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) poses challenges, as the board controls every coin in the account and MPs are not signatories to the funds.
Consequently, one might find themselves poorer in parliament than they were in their previous private practice.
"CDF kwanza ndio hata usahau! The cdf board controls every coin in the account! Remember you are not even a signatory to the account! You could be more poor in parliament than you were in private practice!" he wrote.
Jalang'o also responded to a comment suggesting that his YouTube channel couldn't afford to buy the Range Rover.
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He countered by saying that his YouTube channel was monetized based on views, and he had seven sponsors for every show, in addition to income generated from other avenues apart from YouTube monetization.
"Nimeona mtu anasema youtu.be channel cant buy this car! Yes it can adi ubaki na change!! I had monetized my channel on view, i had 7 sponsors in every show away from youtu.be monetized content!! Sanitize!" he wrote.
He concluded by expressing his desire to mentor and guide young individuals on how to make money in the streets.