President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have been ranked among top government officials whose travel expenditure of the financial year ending June 2024 rose significantly.
A report by the Controller of the Budget (COB) Margaret Nyakang’o has revealed a 34% rise in the travel expenditure incurred by the National government.
Details have also emerged from the report that it cost the taxpayer at least Ksh21 million to sponsor 13 senior government officials to the United States during President William Ruto’s State visit in May this year.
The report shows that in the year 2023/2024, the domestic travel cost Ksh18.1 billion which was up from Ksh14 billion in the previous year, a 29% rise. On the other hand, the foreign travel the cost increased by 45% to reach Ksh9.2 billion, up from Ksh6.3 billion.
In total, the national government spent Ksh27.3 billion against Ksh20.4 billion in the previous year, a 34% % jump. President Ruto’s Executive office in the year ending June 2024 is reported to have used Ksh2.5 billion compared to the previous year which was Ksh1.36 billion.
President & DP Office Increase Expenditure on Travels
State House on the other hand spent Ksh1.6 billion in the financial year ending June 2024, representing a 28% jump. The office of the Deputy president spent Ksh556 million on travel expenditure from Ksh103.4 million in the year ending June 2023, a 43. 8 per cent.
Also Read: Friends Gave Me Jet to US for Ksh 10M – Ruto
The office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) expenditure up to June 2024 was Ksh154.5 million on travel up from Ksh94.3 million the previous year, a 64% jump. The total for the three offices jumped from Ksh1.56 billion to Ksh2.45 billion, a 57 per cent rise.
President Ruto has visited a record more than 38 foreign countries in more than 65 trips since he ascended to the presidency after winning the 2022 General Election.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’Oei had in July hinted at the Head of State cutting his foreign trips which have sparked widespread condemnation from Kenyans.
Also Read: State House, Gachagua, and Mudavadi Budgets Slashed in New Proposal
Dr. Korir while speaking in a media interview said that moving forward, the government would be considering only critical foreign events that must be attended by the Head of State.
Ruto to Reduce Foreign Travels After Finance Bill Withdrawal
According to the PS, this was because of the austerity measures announced by the government due to the financial constraints that were occasioned by the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
“We will consider very seriously which events are truly critical and must be attended by the President because that has an additional cost. Perhaps we won’t see the President flying out of the country as frequently.
President Ruto in July proposed spending cuts and additional borrowing in roughly equal measure to fill a nearly $2.7 billion budget hole which was occasioned by his withdrawal of planned tax hikes in the face of nationwide protests.
Ruto scrapped the Finance Bill 2024 containing the tax increases in response to youth-led demonstrations that left at least 50 people killed.
Ruto said in a State of the Nation address that he would ask parliament for spending cuts totaling Ksh177 billion ($1.39 billion) for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2024, and that the government would increase borrowing by about Ksh169 billion.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
