The State House is now warning that its operations could grind to a halt due to significant budget cuts necessitated by the rejection of the 2024/2025 Finance Bill.
According to State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Mitito, the State House budget has been reduced by a staggering 54%, from Ksh.9.496 billion to Ksh.4.382 billion.
This drastic cut, Katoo says, will have a huge impact on the running of State House.
Speaking before the Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Katoo pleaded with the committee to reconsider the significant reductions.
“If you put yourself in the shoes of the President, he says we can’t be pushing for budget cuts in other ministries without leading by example, but in the end, we might bring to a halt all the activities of the office. Let us reduce in a reasonable way, not close the office,” he told the committee.
The staff working in the Office of the First Lady and her advisors will be the most affected, as Ksh.547 million that had been set aside for salaries has been cut following the president’s pronouncement that the office will cease to exist.
Katoo warned of legal implications if the staff’s contracts are terminated without following labor laws and wants the committee to reinstate the money.
Katoo also lamented the withdrawal of funds meant for confidential use in the office of the President, stating that it could have serious repercussions on how the entire government is run.
“Look at the vote like confidential expenditure; it has been reduced to zero, and yet that is the heart of government operations,” he said.
With Ksh.1.5 billion that was meant for the refurbishment of State House and State Lodges across the country also being removed, Katoo says that they could face cases in court as they had already entered agreements with contractors.
Despite the economic challenges, Katoo pleaded with the committee to find a balance, stating, “What we were requesting is that out of the Ksh.5.1 billion that is being reduced, you add us some Ksh.1.7 billion so that the budget cut is Ksh.3.3 billion, which will be around a 36 percent budget cut.”
Author: Mujuni Henry
JUNIITV
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