As an MP, I have gained nothing – Kasarani MP, Captain Karauri
Retired pilot Ronald Karauri says he hasn’t made any money from his current job as an MP. The salary of a Kenyan MP in the financial year 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 is a gross monthly salary of Ksh725,502.
The amount consists of a basic salary of KSh 435,301, additional allowances in the form of a house allowance of KSh 150,000, an official commuter allowance, and a salary market adjustment of KES 140,201.
But the Kasarani MP points out that he made a lot of money from his ten-year career as a Kenya Airways pilot and also from his betting company business Sportpesa, which he co-founded and became its chief executive officer after retiring as a captain.
When he and his business partners set up Sportpesa, the company made Sh12.6 billion in its first five years.
The company grew rapidly but later faced challenges when the government increased taxes on betting companies and also accused Sportpesa of not paying taxes, leading the company to close its office and operations in Kenya.
“We have a big problem in this country. I once sat with a guy who is a politician and I told him that if we create an environment in Kenya where we just show that politicians are the only ones who make money and we don’t even know how they make their money, they just get rich. And then if we have successful businessmen who make so much money but their businesses are ‘killed’, we will not have a country.” Captain Karauri observes.
Also Read: Captain Karauri on Gambling Sh25 Million in Sportpesa
Karauri, who contested the Kasarani MP seat as an independent candidate in the last general election in August 2022 and won by a slim margin with 32,406 votes, says that while he enjoys serving his constituents, the fruits of being an MP aren’t as rewarding as they were when he was active in business or as a pilot.
“In my current job as an MP, I have gained nothing. All I do is give and give, I do not see any benefits [in return]. Because when I came in, it was because I realized there was a problem. We have a big leadership problem in Kenya and that’s why I joined to change it from within”. He says
Captain Karauri dismisses claims that his move into politics was to protect his Sportpesa business, which has faced a lot of backlash and frustration from the government, which at one point revoked its operating license.
“That’s a misconception because from where we were, we were now able to protect the business. Pevans (the company that owns Sportpesa) was shut down by the government and we managed to get another company and get Sportpesa up and running. At that point, we understood how to survive. So my entry into politics was because I realized that I had an opportunity. I said I can’t complain from the outside, let me try to get into politics, and if there is a chance I will try to change things from the inside. That is the only reason I got into politics. People say it is to protect my business, but how many big businessmen are out there and you never hear of them running for political office?” He poses.