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- President William Ruto announced significant reduction in benefits for retired presidents as part of austerity measures
- State House Comptroller confirmed overall budget for State House was slashed by 54%
- Budget cuts also affected funds for programmes focused on women’s empowerment, climate change, social justice, and child protection
President William Ruto has announced a significant reduction in benefits for retired presidents, cutting Sh99 million as part of broader austerity measures in the newly revised 2024/2025 budget.
State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito confirmed the reduction in a recent statement, noting that the overall budget for State House was slashed by 54%, from Sh9.496 billion to Sh4.382 billion.
One of the most notable reductions is the budget for benefits allocated to retired presidents, which has been decreased from Sh646.69 million to Sh547.45 million.
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State Lodge refurbishments and First Lady's programmes affected
Another significant impact of the budget cuts is the cancellation of funds for the refurbishment of eight State Lodges across the country, including those in Nairobi, Kakamega, Nakuru, Eldoret, Sagana, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Mtito Andei. The budget for these refurbishments has been reduced to zero.
Additionally, the government had initially allocated Sh696 million to the office of the First Lady for programmes focused on women’s empowerment, climate change, social justice, and child protection.
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However, these allocations have also been eliminated, including Sh4 million intended for planting 500 million trees across the country.
Implications for State House operations
The drastic budgetary cuts have raised concerns about the operational viability of State House.
Comptroller Metito has highlighted the risk of halting essential operations due to the revised budget estimates.
The budget now stands at Sh4.3 billion, down from Sh9.4 billion, posing challenges for the compensation of employees, domestic and foreign travel, hospitality supplies, and the maintenance of buildings.
Metito has urged the National Assembly Committee on Security and Internal Security to reinstate Sh1.7 billion of the budget to prevent operational paralysis.
He emphasised that while the President advocates for budget cuts, the reductions must be reasonable to avoid crippling the office’s functions.
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Legal and contractual concerns
The cuts have also raised legal concerns, particularly regarding the compensation of employees in the Office of the First Lady.
Many of these employees are on contractual terms that could lead to legal repercussions if their contracts are terminated prematurely. Metito stressed the need to retain the funds to regularise the situation and avoid potential legal suits.