President William Ruto has warmly embraced the budget cuts proposed by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO), describing them as “practical and timely” in alleviating the economic challenges facing Kenyans.
The joint statement released on Saturday evening by NADCO recommended a 50% reduction in travel expenditure and a 30% decrease in allowances for public officers, aimed at cushioning Kenyans from prevailing economic hardships.
During a Sunday service at the Priesthood Fellowship Church in Nairobi, President Ruto commended the dialogue process, applauding the recommendations as practical and expressing his commitment to implementing them. He assured the public that his administration would diligently act on the proposals to manage the country’s debt and alleviate the cost of living that has burdened Kenyans.
“I want to congratulate all the teams that were involved in the dialogue process. I have seen the recommendations; they are all practical,” said President Ruto, emphasizing that his office was already taking steps to implement the suggested 50% budget cuts on travel.
Addressing the proposed 30% reduction in allowances, President Ruto proposed a 50% cut, highlighting its vital role in curbing public spending. He pledged to work towards reducing expenditures in line with the committee’s recommendations.
Despite the government’s commitment to slash travel allowances for officials, state officers have continued to undertake expensive trips at the expense of taxpayers.
While urging lawmakers to expedite the proposed reforms, President Ruto affirmed the government’s prompt action in executing the recommendations pertaining to the executive branch.
Furthermore, President Ruto called upon Kenyans, regardless of their political affiliations, to unite for the collective prosperity of the nation, emphasizing that unity is essential for reducing the cost of living and fostering opportunities for all citizens.
“The job of the rest of us as Kenyans now is to unite and move together into the future to build our country, to build the unity of the Citizens of our country and to work on our economy so that we can do what we can, grow jobs and we can enhance production and productivity,” stated President Ruto.
The NADCO agreement, signed by Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka (Azimio Coalition) and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah (Kenya Kwanza Coalition), included a recommendation for the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to collaborate with the National Treasury to reduce the road maintenance levy and the anti-adulteration levy by Sh 5 and Sh 3 per liter, respectively.
The proposal to address the cost of living was one of six recommendations made by the committee, established through a parliamentary process in August. Other recommendations encompassed the establishment of state offices, adherence to the law on multi-party democracy, electoral justice, and the incorporation of funds supervised by Members of Parliament into the constitution.
Ichung’wah and Musyoka confirmed the electronic submission of the proposals to both President William Ruto and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga, expressing optimism that the joint report would contribute to addressing the challenges faced by Kenyans, especially the high cost of living.
“It is our firm belief that the report has addressed the issues that formed the basis of the talks and the recommendations therein will progressively heal our wounds,” stated Ichung’wah and Musyoka in a joint statement.
