Billions President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto have spent in 9 months

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Dr William Ruto's offices have utilized billions in salaries and allowances, Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang’o reported.

The CoB reported an over 10 per cent increase in the amount government spent on the two items over the nine months leading to March 2021.

Nyakang'o noted that civil servants increased their earnings by Sh42.7 billion which translates to 13.5% in a period when President Kenyatta had ordered pay cuts.

In total, taxpayers spent Sh358.49 billion on the salaries and allowances compared to Sh315.76 billion recorded in the similar period last year.

According to the report, salaries and allowances at the Presidency rose to Sh6.4 billion from Sh1.5 billion recorded the previous year, a Sh4.9 billion increase.

In March 2020, just four months before the period monitored by CoB, President Kenyatta announced that the Executive would be taking up to 80% pay cuts.

The President and his deputy were to give up 80% of their salaries, CSs and CASs were to give up 30% and PSs were to give up 20% in an initiative that was supposed to cushion the country as the Covid-19 pandemic took it's toll on the economy.

Treasury CS Ukur Yattani announced that the measure had raised Sh214.94 million for the Covid-19 relief fund.

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o Pulse Live Kenya

The CoB recommended budget cuts by the National Treasury to reduce over-issues and expenditures which exceed budget estimates.

"Reduction of budgets by National Treasury without involving the spending units may result in expenditures beyond 100 per cent of the budget. However, the reductions should be corrected at the earliest, during supplementary budgeting. Affected MDAs should liaise with the National Treasury and ensure the budgets are regularized before the end of the FY 2020/21," the report recommended.

Civil Servants entitled to 247 allowances

Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson Lyn Mengich flagged the allowances paid to civil servants noting that they are entitled to up to 247 allowances compared to 11 in 1999.

Which in effect doubles the take-home pay earned by the government workers.

The SRC chairperson also noted that the statistics reported by Ms Nyakang'o could include reviews that were effected in July 2021.

"In July, public sector institutions implemented the fourth and last phase of the review cycle, the figures thus most likely include pay increases," she stated.