State House is advocating for the restoration of Sh1.7 billion from a Sh5 billion budget reduction to cover the salaries of employees from the now-disbanded office of First Lady Rachael Ruto.
On Thursday, State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito appealed to MPs for the reinstatement of at least Sh1.7 billion, which includes Sh591 million designated for the First Lady’s office staff.
Despite President William Ruto’s decision to dismantle the office as part of austerity measures following the Finance Bill 2024’s rejection, Ole Metito emphasized that the staff have existing contracts that the state is obligated to honor.
During his testimony before the committee on administration and internal security concerning supplementary budget estimates, Ole Metito explained that some staff members have contracts lasting three to five years, necessitating their compensation even after the office’s closure.
“These people had contracts and stopping them like that would attract legal consequences,” Mr. Ole Metito stated.
This response came after Saku MP Dido Raso inquired about the future of the employees now that the office of the First Lady had been abolished.
Raso questioned the fairness of punishing the staff, who he argued are innocent in this situation.
“Yes, you have abolished the office of the First Lady,
I understand that because it is not a constitutional office but what is the fate of the young men and women employed there because they are innocent and should not be punished for the sake of others,” Mr. Raso said.
Ole Metito also noted that, should the staff be dismissed, labor laws would require at least two months’ salary as severance.
He emphasized that State House has been hit hardest by the recent budget cuts and urged the committee to consider reinstating some of these funds to ensure the smooth functioning of the President’s office.
The office of the First Lady was initially allocated Sh696 million, reflecting a 17.3 percent increase from the previous year’s allocation of Sh593.9 million.
The mini-budget presented to Parliament had eliminated budget lines for both the First Lady and Second Lady Dorcas Gachagua’s offices, cutting a total of Kh1.25 billion from this fiscal year’s expenditure.
In addition to the Sh591.9 million for First Lady’s office staff compensation, Ole Metito is seeking the reinstatement of Sh37.9 million for State House communication, supplies, and services, and Sh389.9 million for domestic travel and transportation.
Further requested reinstatements include Sh114.6 million for foreign travel, Sh25.7 million, Sh43.9 million for asset rentals, and Sh532.1 million for hospitality supplies and services.
“I’m appealing to this committee to reconsider reinstatement of Sh1,736,305,955 under recurrent vote which are critical budget items for operations and compensation of employees,” Mr. Ole Metito said.
He stressed the importance of maintaining the hospitality budget to support the President’s engagements with international guests.
“I understand we need to reduce the budget but we need to do it in a reasonable way not to close the office,” he added.
The revised budget has also removed allocations for the refurbishment of State Houses in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and other State Lodges.
Originally, Sh1.5 billion was requested for this purpose in the 2024/2025 financial year, increasing to Sh1.8 billion in 2025/2026 and Sh1.5 billion in 2026/2027.
Specific amounts were earmarked for various State Houses and Lodges across the country, but these refurbishments have been shelved in the revised budget, reflecting public concern over high living costs and perceived unnecessary expenditures.
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