Blow To DP Gachagua As Gov’t Freezes Renovation Of Public Offices
For another year, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua could have to settle for his current Harambee House Annex office.
This comes after Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u outlined steps to cut government spending, including a halt on government office renovations, during his budget statement on Thursday.
The decision was made in response to complaints from Kenyans who didn’t like President William Ruto’s repeated advice for them to live within their means and tighten their belts while leaders live lavish lifestyles, occupy fancy offices, and flaunt the newest fuel-guzzlers.
CS Ndung’u unveiled plans to reduce government spending in an attempt to show that the Kenya Kwanza administration does not just preach water and drink wine.
These include addressing an exorbitant wage bill by stopping all new hires for the following year as well as auditing and clearing all public payrolls to get rid of ghost workers and make sure salary scales are paid.
Reducing expenditure on overseas travel and training costs, limiting all training to government institutions, and utilizing Wi-Fi and email for effective communication are further strategies that could impact allowances received.
Insurance plans for those employed by the government, law enforcement, and prisons will also be examined and synchronized with the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
A one-year moratorium on furniture purchases and a ban on all government office renovations are also included in the measures.
The relocation might have an impact on DP Gachagua, who had planned to spend Ksh. 300 million renovating his official residence in Mombasa and Karen as well as his office in the Harambee House Annex.
The Deputy President may also be a victim of the government’s attempt to reduce expenditure on automobiles, as his office has sought a financial allocation of Ksh. 100 million for vehicles. The Deputy President has expressed dissatisfaction with the facilities made for his air travel.
Additional actions include combining public procurement for common-use goods and suspending the practice of government agencies with some degree of autonomy investing extra cash; instead, these organizations will be required to turn over excess funds to the exchequer.
A review of regional development authority will also take place, to eliminate any overlap in their responsibilities with county governments, ministries, departments, and agencies.
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Blow To DP Gachagua As Gov’t Freezes Renovation Of Public Offices