President William Ruto announced several significant measures today during a press briefing at State House in Nairobi, aimed at streamlining government operations and addressing Kenya’s public debt concerns.
A major step involves the appointment of a taskforce to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of Kenya’s public debt, with a report expected within three months. Additionally, in an effort to reduce government expenditure, 47 overlapping institutions within various ministries will be closed. The number of advisers within the public service will also be halved, and the decision to fill the positions of Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) has been suspended.
Further measures include a 12-month suspension on the purchase of new motor vehicles by the government, with an exception made for security agencies. Despite these cuts, the government will proceed with hiring Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers and medical interns. Non-essential travel for government workers has been suspended, and state officers and public servants are now banned from participating in public contributions or Harambees.
Budget allocations for the offices of Rachel Ruto, Dorcas Rigathi, and Tessy Mudavadi will be eliminated, and the renovation budget across government facilities will be reduced by 50%. The confidential budget will also be removed.
To support key initiatives, the government plans to borrow funds for the milk stabilization program, to revive stalled projects, fund the fertilizer subsidy program, settle debts owed to coffee farmers, and enable public-owned sugar mills to pay debts to sugarcane farmers. A proposed budget cut of Ksh 177 billion will be presented to the National Assembly, with plans to borrow the difference.
Finally, public servants who have retired but are still serving will be required to proceed to retirement immediately, as part of the efforts to optimize the public service.
