Uhuru starts receiving his Sh1.32m monthly pension as the State withholds another KSh655 million
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Uhuru Kenyatta starts receiving his Sh1.32m monthly pension as the State withholds another Ksh655 million for allowances
Uhuru Kenyatta starts receiving his Sh1.32m monthly pension as the State withholds another Ksh655 million for allowances.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is now receiving a monthly pension of Sh1.32 million, with the State holding the remaining Sh655 million to pay for a fully equipped office, limos, and salary for a large number of staffers while he transitions out of party politics.
According to Treasury records, Mr. Kenyatta received a lump sum payment of Sh39.6 million and has been given a monthly salary of Sh1.32 million since December 1.
For access to a retirement benefits budget of Sh655 million for a fully furnished office, assistants, and luxury vehicles, the former president must publicly resign from party politics.
It is apparent that the State is trying to avoid breaking the law’s provisions that prohibit a retired president from serving in a political party office for six months following retirement.
The law allows the Treasury to provide a retired president with a monthly pension of Sh693,000 and other perks like house allowance, fuel, entertainment, and utilities irrespective of political affiliation.
“The former president applied for his pension a few weeks after President Ruto’s swearing-in. We processed and made the first payment in December,” said a top Treasury official, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.
A retired president’s once-a-month pension is set at 80 percent of his pensionable salary, which is equivalent to 60 percent of the KSh1.44 million monthly pay offered to the sitting president.
He also has other perks such as fuel, house, and entertainment allowances, which push the overall benefits above the salaries and allowances of top chief executives of State-owned firms like KenGen, Kenya-Re, and Kenya Power.
Benefits of the retired presidents have come under sharp focus, especially in the past couple of years when allocations increased by large margins, even as the government insisted that it had put in place austerity measures to contain a growing public sector wage bill.
In 2015, the High Court stopped the government from paying allowances worth millions of shillings to former President Daniel Arap Moi and former President Kibaki after finding that they were an unnecessary burden to the taxpayers.
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The Attorney-General appealed the decision, allowing them to continue enjoying the high pay.
Sections of the law that the court nullified entitled the two to a KSh300,000 house allowance per month, fuel (Sh200,000), entertainment (Sh200,000), and utilities (Sh300,000).
The law also entitles them to two personal assistants, four secretaries, four messengers as well as four drivers and bodyguards, pushing the office and home workers to 34 under the scheme funded by taxpayers.
Retired presidents are also entitled to four cars, including two limousines, which are replaced every four years. They have full medical coverage and fully furnished offices.
But Uhuru Kenyatta must first stop his dealings in a political party to access these other perks.
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