Ruto allies mulling stripping Uhuru privileges if he does not toe the line
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Ruto allies mulling stripping former President Uhuru Kenyatta Five privileges for supporting Azimio leader Raila Odinga
Ruto allies mulling stripping former President Uhuru Kenyatta Five privileges for supporting Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
Former president Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto’s administration look to still be at odds following his backing for Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
President William Ruto’s close allies and certain Kenyan Kwanza lawmakers have already discussed stripping Uhuru of a number of privileges if he doesn’t conform or tone it down.
Nandi Senator Simon Cherargei on Wednesday, February 1 requested Ruto to take away the perks Uhuru has been enjoying since he abdicated authority in September 2022.
Mr. Cherargei, a close ally of President Ruto said the former head of state has been enjoying favours that a retired president should but he is still active in politics.
Outlining the privileges, he noted that Ruto needed to withdraw the government vehicles, security detail, and monetary benefits enjoyed by a retired president.
“Under the law when you retire as president you are given some government support; vehicle, security, money, and office but if you saw him on Monday, he is still active in politics he hasn’t retired,” he noted.
According to the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, a retired president is entitled to a lump sum payment on retirement equal to one year’s salary for each term served.
He is entitled to monthly pension fuel, house and entertainment allowances, and Ksh332,062 to cater for his electricity, telephone, and water bills.
The former head of state is also entitled to at least 30 office and home staff that include two personal assistants, four secretaries, four messengers, four drivers, and up to six security guards.
To cater for his transport, he is entitled to two four-wheel drive motor vehicles of his choice, replaceable every three years, and an Office of the retired president not exceeding 1,000 square metres, with appropriate furnishings and equipment as well as staff.
Together with his wife, they are entitled to diplomatic passports and local and international travel allowance of up to four trips a year not exceeding two weeks each and access to the VIP lounge at all airports within Kenya.
Cherargei added that Uhuru was not in a position to continue leading peace envoy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since he was backing Raila, who denounced Ruto’s presidency as illegitimate.
“Uhuru should be recalled as DRC peace envoy because he is associating himself with people who do not recognize the government of Kenya so which confidence does he have to lead a peace role in DRC?” he questioned.
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His remarks come Uhuru dismissed the ruling government’s attempts to go after his family.
“Don’t worry about these people who are making noise, people who have nothing else to do will always make noise. That’s life. We’ll mind our business,” Uhuru stated while speaking at the late professor George Magoha’s home on January 31.
This was after Mt Kenya senators called on Ruto to conduct an audit into the tax waivers allegedly enjoyed by the former Head of State since ascending to power.
Regarded taxation, the senator noted that it was against the law for any Kenyan to evade paying taxes, proposing that Uhuru’s name be expunged from the list of those who are exempted from the obligation.
“When the president started the issue of tax reforms, tax payment, and fighting tax evasion Azimio’s activities heightened and we know Raila is a proxy being used by Uhuru.
I am deleting the words that when you are doing taxation the estates of the late President Daniel Moi and Jomo Kenyatta are exempt and am now replacing it not to tax the disabled as provided by relevant law,” he uttered.
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