Uhuru’s frequent trips burst travel budget by Sh300 million

Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo (left), National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich (centre) and National Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge at a past session in Parliament. PHOTO | FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• The Controller of Budget reports show that Mr Kenyatta’s frequent foreign trips cost taxpayers more than Sh1 billion in the financial year ended June 2015.
• Mr Kenyatta’s foreign trips have increasingly come under scrutiny even as the Presidency maintains that the majority of the travels have yielded investment deals that should help lift the country’s fortunes and generate more employment opportunities.
• The committee chaired by Deputy speaker Joyce Laboso heard that the Treasury has been unable to accurately budget for presidential travels.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s office has received an additional Sh300 million after exceeding his budget, underlining the heavy burden to taxpayers of his many local and foreign trips.

Treasury secretary Henry Rotich told the National Assembly’s Liaison Committee that the Presidency has so far exceeded its budget for local travel by Sh300 million.

The request for additional budget comes even as the Treasury and Mr Kenyatta himself continue to speak the language of austerity, ostensibly to free up cash for development and provision of basic services such as security, health and education.

Mr Rotich also revealed that Sh18 billion out of the Sh49 billion set aside in the Supplementary Budget has already been spent.

“Some of the ministries that have received the money we are seeking approval for include the Presidency. The Presidency needs additional Sh300 million to cater for the President’s local travel,” Mr Rotich told the committee that is reviewing the mini budget tabled in Parliament last week.

READ: Uhuru foreign visits cost taxpayer Sh1.2bn

Also: Revealed: big spenders in Uhuru government

The Treasury also used the mini budget to cut development spending by Sh49.1 billion while expanding the recurrent budget by Sh8.1 billion.

Mr Kenyatta has stepped up his local travels to drive the ruling Jubilee’s political agenda ahead of next year’s General Election.
Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo, in her report covering the six months to December, says that the Presidency—which includes the offices of Mr Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, --spent Sh208.1 million on domestic travel and Sh111.2 million on foreign travel.

Yielded investments

Mr Kenyatta’s foreign trips have increasingly come under scrutiny even as the Presidency maintains that the majority of the travels have yielded investment deals that should help lift the country’s fortunes and generate more employment opportunities.

His large entourages during foreign trips have particularly raised eyebrows, given the hefty allowances that senior civil servants pocket, but with little to show for their inclusion in the journeys.

Reports indicate that by December last year that Mr Kenyatta had been on 43 official trips since taking office in 2013, while his predecessor Mwai Kibaki made just 33 trips during his 10 years in power.

The Controller of Budget reports show that Mr Kenyatta’s frequent foreign trips cost taxpayers more than Sh1 billion in the financial year ended June 2015.

The committee chaired by Deputy speaker Joyce Laboso heard that the Treasury has been unable to accurately budget for presidential travels.