PRESIDENT William Ruto of Kenya has scrapped the budget for the office of first lady after nationwide protests.
Ruto announced this in a live broadcast.
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“Offices such as that of the First Lady have existed before, but from tomorrow we are going to do away with that and other offices so that we can check our spending,” he said.
Additionally, the President confirmed that Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) positions will not be filled, following a court ruling that declared the positions unconstitutional.
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“On CASs, the court declared themselves on that and we have respected that. No CAS will be appointed until we have an economy that supports more opportunities,” he said.
Ruto had nominated 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs) to take up roles in government, but a legal challenge filed in court contested the legitimacy of these appointments.
If parliament had endorsed these nominees, it would have resulted in an annual expenditure of Sh460 million in total salaries, borne by the taxpayers.
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The head of state also vowed to control the excessive spending and luxurious lifestyles among Kenya Kwanza leaders, pledging to implement reforms that will ensure responsible allocation and management of resources.
“I promise you, watch this space. Going forward you will see changes because we must do something about opulence and extravagance. We are going to take measures that will put us in the right place,” he said.
