The spending on vehicle by the top three offices in the government has increased eight times over what had been allocated by former Treasury CS Ukur Yatani

President Ruto, his deputy Gachagua and Prime CS Mudavadi have benefitted from an allocation of Sh802.2 million to buy motor vehicles in the current financial year, a significant increase from what had been allocated as Kenyans come to terms with a bloated government that has scuttled Kenya Kwanza’s austerity measures.

In the last financial year, the office of the president and that of the DP had been collectively allocated 100.8 million for the purchase of vehicles putting in mind that the office of the Prime CS had not been catered for.

The biggest beneficiary among the three is Mr Gachagua whose office was given Sh290.8 million for the vehicles, an increase of Sh200 million from Sh90.8 million that had previously been allocated by former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani.

 

In total, the budget for the purchase of new cars for all the State bodies in the current financial year ending June more than doubled to Sh2.06 billion from Sh810.3 million that had been allocated in the original budget, with the three offices accounting for more than 40 percent of the budget.

 

This is despite the president promising to cut government expenditure in a bid to plug the national budget deficit.

 

During the opening of the 13th Parliament on September 29, 2022, President Ruto said there was a need to live within means and never to borrow to finance recurrent expenditure.

 

“Over the next three years, we must reverse this and go back to the situation where the government contributes to the national savings effort by keeping recurrent expenditure below revenue,” the President said.

 

“To this end, I have instructed the National Treasury to work with ministries to find savings of Sh300 billion in this year’s budget. Next year, we will bring it further down so that, by the third year, we have a recurrent budget surplus,” said Dr Ruto.

 

The expenditure is expected to further increase as new Chief Administrative Secretaries are appointed after parliamentary vetting. Every CAS will be provided with two cars.