Staff at DP Ruto's office yet to be paid allowances due to budget cuts

Why DP Ruto’s staff have not been paid allowances for five months with some grounded

Charles Ouma

February 10, 2019 9:35 AM

The going gets tough

File image of Deputy President William Ruto

Details have emerged of cash crisis at Deputy President William Ruto’s office that has seen his staff fail to receive allowances for the past five months.

Nation reported that acute budget cuts with fingers pointed at DP Ruto is to blame for the delay in payment.

Among those who are yet to receive their allowances are his security detail, drivers and press team as budget cuts hit home.

Well-placed sources privy to the details divulged to the paper that the government owes staff in the DP’s office between Ksh200,000 to Ksh1.2 million each depending on one’s job group.

The last time that staff who travelled with DP Ruto received their per diem was on August 31 last year when the DP visited Marsabit County.

The team which accompanies the DP during his travels raised eyebrows with his frequent tours amidst concerns by a section of politicians that the DP had launched premature campaigns ahead of his 2022 bid.

Reports indicate that as a result of the cash crunch, DP Ruto’s tours across the country have scaled down significantly.

Delegations to his Karen home have also reduced significantly with the DP maintaining a lean number of staff during the reduced tours.

File image of DP Ruto addressing the public after launching a project Pulse Live Kenya

Asked about the claims of unpaid dues by staff in DP Ruto’s office his spokesman David Mugonyi dismissed them as lies.

“Those are lies, total lies. It is not true at all.” Mugonyi said.

Taming premature campaigns

In recent days, President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken decisive action to tame premature campaigns, warning his CSs that he will not hesitate to sack anyone engaging in politics at the expense of development.

Reports indicate that a section of politicians linked to DP Ruto’s 2022 bid has been advised to slow down and stay away from politics amidst concerns that they were derailing the Big 4 agenda that will form the foundation of President Kenyatta’s legacy.

The team had set the country in a pensive mood barely a year in President Kenyatta's second term with frequent attacks at opposition leader Raila Odinga whose unity pact with the president appeared to have unsettled many.

Charles Ouma