DP Gachagua suffers office budget cut amid fallout with Ruto
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Parliament cuts budget allocation to the Office of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua amid fallout with Ruto
Parliament cuts budget allocation to the Office of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua amid fallout with Ruto.
The split between President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has gone full-blown after the KSh500m budget cut.
In the latest onslaught, MPs have slashed the Deputy President’s operations budget by about Sh500 million in a move that could cripple his movements.
Estimates presented by the National Treasury had showed that the money was allocated for operations, maintenance, and other operating expenses.
However, after a review by the Ndindi Nyoro-led Budget and Appropriations Committee, the money has been split and allocated to programmes with exact deliverables.
The committee set aside Sh80 million for recurrent expenses incurred in the rehabilitation of Harambee House Annex.
Another Sh20 million would be used to fund development expenses in the facelift of the DP’s offices.
MPs have set aside Sh150 million from the savings to go towards coffee reforms, Sh100 million for tea reforms, and Sh150 million for the eradication of drug abuse.
The deduction comes hot on the heels of a recent pronouncement by the National Treasury that budgets for the top offices would be slashed.
Treasury PS Chris Kiptoo, when he appeared before the committee, said that the exchequer sought to review and rationalise votes for the office of the President.
“The savings will be used to address the ongoing reforms in the coffee sector, fight against illicit brew and abuse of drugs,” the PS said.
“These proposed amendments will be considered against the available resources and will be formally submitted to the National Assembly for consideration,” he explained.
Monies allocated under ‘other operating expenses’ are the ones the top offices spend on the usually non-specified activities.
Treasury had allocated Sh2.5 billion towards the DP’s support services, which was an increase of Sh500 million from last year’s allocation.
The changes saw the other operating expenses budget increase from Sh800 million to Sh1 billion, while that of vehicles maintenance went up by Sh30 million.
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DP’s budget for fuel was allocated Sh70 million more while that of hospitality went up by Sh250 million and is to peak at Sh480 million next year.
Overall, the Budget Committee has been slashed by Sh180 billion, being a reduction from Sh4.18 trillion to Sh4 trillion.
Nyoro said the reduction followed “a mismatch between the money we intend to raise in revenue against our expenditure.”
“We had to respond to other pressing issues,” the Kiharu lawmaker, and President Ruto right-hand man on matters budget, said.
On the other hand, allocation to the Executive Office of the President has been increased to cater for new budget votes including the upgrade of government printer.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s office which was tipped for the cut has not been affected in the reviewed budget.
The latest development comes amid the alleged fallout between President Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
Earlier, Gachagua accused Ruto’s allies in Rift Valley of causing a rift in the Mt Kenya region.
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