Kenyan protesters spill cow blood as parliamentarians _ or 'MPigs' _ push for more pay, again

NAIROBI, Kenya – Civil society activists spilled cow blood outside Kenya's parliament to protest political leaders' attempts to raise their salaries.

Civil society activist John Abuka said Tuesday the spilled blood symbolizes Kenyans' suffering at the cost of maintaining their leaders' salaries. About 200 activists marched to parliament while castigating the members, locally known as MPs, for their "greed." Some protesters now call their political leaders MPigs.

Last month parliamentary members voted to overturn a directive that reduced their pay, hoping it would force the government to pay higher salaries earned by the previous parliament.

Their annual pay was cut from $126,000 to $78,000 by a government commission that said the country spent too much on salaries. Average income in Kenya is about $1,800 a year, a fact fueling the pay debate rage.