'Greedy pig' protest held at Kenyan parliament

Protesters in Kenya released a pig and and piglets outside parliament to show their anger at newly elected MPs demanding higher salaries. The animals licked blood spilled by a protester outside the parliamentary gates in the capital, Nairobi. The unusual demonstration, organised by civil society groups, was intended to portray the MPs as greedy.



The MPs are demanding a monthly salary of about $10,000 (£6,540). Kenya's Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has recommended that their salaries be pegged at around $6,300.  Kenya's MPs are among the highest paid in the world, and their salaries have often triggered controversy. The average annual salary in Kenya is about $1,700.



"We have spilled the blood of the pigs to show that the MPs are greedy like pigs," said Boniface Mwangi, an organiser of the "Occupy Parliament" march. He and other organisers were arrested by police. Riot police hit protesters and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, which had marched from Nairobi's Freedom Corner.


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The pig and piglets - brought in a truck - did not seem to be affected by the tear gas, and continued licking the blood. Earlier, protesters blocked MPs from entering parliament and demanded that they sign a petition rejecting a $10,000 salary. Only one MP was seen signing the petition, though it is not sure he knew what he was signing.