VIDEO: MP Salasya flaunts multi-million shilling rural mansion under construction

Peter Salasya, the Member of Parliament for Mumias East Constituency in Kakamega County, has sparked nationwide conversation after footage of his sprawling rural homestead circulated widely on social media this week.

The video, shared across platforms including TikTok and X, offers an aerial and ground-level tour of an elaborate compound in the legislator's home area. The property features multiple completed residential structures housing different family members, alongside a prominent multi-storey main house still under active construction, with scaffolding, exposed brickwork, and construction workers visible throughout the footage.

Salasya, who won the Mumias East seat in the 2022 General Election under the Orange Democratic Movement ticket, has previously cultivated a public image rooted in grassroots politics and relatability. The video appeared to catch followers of his social media pages off guard, drawing sharply divided reactions from Kenyans online.

Supporters framed the development as a legitimate success story — a son of western Kenya investing back into his community and providing for his family. Critics, however, questioned how a first-term MP could fund such an ambitious construction project, reigniting perennial debates about the sources of wealth among Kenya's elected officials.

Mumias East is part of the broader Mumias region historically associated with Kenya's sugar industry, an area that has faced prolonged economic hardship following the decline of Mumias Sugar Company, once one of East Africa's largest sugar producers. The company was placed under receivership in 2019 and has struggled to recover, leaving many residents dependent on small-scale farming.

MPs in Kenya earn a base salary of approximately Ksh 710,000 monthly, excluding various allowances — a package that critics argue far exceeds the economic realities of most constituents.

Salasya had not issued a formal public statement in response to the video at the time of publication.