Kenyans set 221 coffins on fire in protest against outgoing parliament

NAIROBI, Kenya – Hundreds of demonstrators angered at outgoing Kenyan legislators doused 221 coffins with gasoline and set them on fire causing a huge inferno outside the parliament's main entrance.

Organizers of the protest said Wednesday the coffins represented the end of an era of parliament's 221 legislators and burning the coffins symbolized the start of a new era away from the dishonorable acts that parliament was known for in the last five years. The legislator's term ended earlier this week.

Kenyans say their legislators are seen as lazy, greedy and self-centered for often improving their welfare lavishly at the cost of tax payer. A Kenya legislator earns about $175,000 a year in a country where the average annual wage income is $1,700. Last week Kenyan legislators attempted to award themselves a $ 110,000 bonus, but the president vetoed the legislation.