Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has clarified reports that President William Ruto is not funding the activities of his office.

In a statement, Uhuru’s spokesperson Kanze Dena, said the office of the fourth president has not received approximately Ksh1 billion in the last two years as mandated by the Constitution.

She explained that Uhuru’s office received only Ksh28 million out of the Ksh655 million allocated to it in the last financial year.

“In 2022/23 parliament allocated this office Ksh655 million, to date the office can only confirm absorption of roughly Ksh28 million spread across payment for allowance for domestic travels, facilitation of the trips that I mentioned earlier,” Kanze Dena said.

“That is approximately 4.4% of the total budget for that year. This does not include the payment of salaries and medical insurance.”

2023/24 Financial Year

Besides, the spokesperson revealed that the office has not received any funds from the government in current financial year.

“The financial year 2023/24 that ends in a few weeks, the budget allocation for this office was Ksh503 million, the year is ending without the office having any access to this allocation,” she said.

“The total amount for these two years that we have not access to is approximately Ksh1 Billion.”

However, she confirmed the government has paid salaries and medical insurance although the office cannot allude to how much that cost.

Kanze Dena said the office waits to see whether the government will honor the Ksh579 million allocate to Uhuru in the 2024/25 budget estimates.

“The quagmire that we are in is that the office cannot substantiate what has been used and where the money has been used since several requests and attempts to get budget returns from the accounting officer, state house controller, have fallen on deaf years,” she said.

Kanze Dena Dismisses 2025/26 & 2026/27 Budget Allocation

Additionally, Uhuru’s office dismissed the budget estimates claiming that the office will receive Ksh450 million and Ksh457 million in 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.

“We would like to distant ourselves from the budget estimates tabled in parliament, our position is that we had no input in the budget estimates that informed the allocation of Ksh450 million that Treasury projects to allocate the officer of the fourth retired president in the 2025/26 and Ksh457 for the year 2026/27 as reported by The Star Newspaper,” she said.

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Uhuru Sponsors His Office

She revealed that Uhuru has been sponsoring the activities of his office despite having funds allocated by the Treasury in the last two financial years.

“The lack of access to our rightful budget allocation has forced former President Uhuru Kenyatta to run the office from his pocket, paying for all the bills the office incurs,” Kanze Dena said.

Furthermore, she revealed that State House has not been sponsoring Uhuru’s official trips despite the former president undertaking various international roles within the East African Community (EAC) region.

The spokesperson stated that the government has facilitated two of Uhuru’s trips since he retired in September 2022.

“Uhuru has undertaken several official international trips related to the roles he is engaged in and only two such trips have been honored. One to Ethiopia and another one to Burundi. The office did submit other request for facilitation of trips but received no response,” she said.

No Funds for Official Trips

She also stated that the government failed to establish and equip Uhuru’s office as required by law.

Kanze explained that Uhuru’s international engagement necessitated the need to identify and establish a suitable office to carry out his roles and provide an operation base for various staff.

She maintained that states house didn’t respond to their request forcing Uhuru to identify and furnish his own office base from his pocket

“A formal letter was written to the office requesting a valuation of the office identified by Uhuru as suitable for him to carry out his duties. However, the office did not receive a response on the issue and instead the office received a communication via a text message. To date this office runs on the former president’s goodwill as we wait upon action from the state house,” she said.

Also Read: Gov’t Reveals Tax-Free Millions Uhuru Pockets as Retirement Benefits

Former President Uses Old Motor Vehicles

Kanze also said the transition conversation on the purchase of new vehicles for President Uhuru collapsed.

Uhuru is using vehicles given to him on a transitional basis, after transition a conversation on the purchase of vehicle commenced as required.

She mentioned that the vehicles given to him are the ones he used at the inauguration ceremony contrary to what statehouse spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said.

“The identification of vehicles was done, down to the color of vehicles and then the conversation froze. To date, no discussion has been revived, we don’t know whether the vehicles were purchased or not,” she said.

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