Several unexplained trips, which accounted for millions of Kenya shillings in expenditure, have been made in the last seven months, where millions of Kenya shillings have been spent. Why would Musalia Mudavadi and Rigathi Gachagua be allowed to spend Kshs 5.6 billion in one year, an equivalent of Kshs 466,666,667 every month, which is also an equivalence of Kshs. 15,555,556 daily for domestic and foreign travel, while the cost of living continues to climb high in Kenya for ordinary citizens every day.?
When William Ruto got into power, his deputy Rigathi Gachagua publicly informed Kenyans that the previous regime left the Treasury empty. Rigathi Gachagua and several other leaders in the Ruto administration have continued to condemn former president Uhuru Kenyatta for looting public funds and leaving the treasury empty. Nevertheless, the CBK has continued to refute those claims and has explained how money collected in taxes has always been spent as stipulated in the Kenyan constitution.
David Ndii has also explained to Kenyans that Kshs. 7.2 billion was available for use for four consecutive months after the August 2022 elections, meaning that from all that had been collected in taxes for 2021/2022, a total of Kshs. 7.2 billion was available for use at the end of August 2022.
David Ndii also revealed that Kshs. One hundred eighty-five billion had been collected from taxes by September 2022, one month after Uhuru Kenyatta had left office. Evidence has proved that Rigathi Gachagua has formed a habit of raising complaints that Uhuru Kenyatta robbed Kenya of all the money set aside to run the government whenever large sums of money are being misused extravagantly. From Gachagua’s utterances, it also appears Uhuru Kenyatta ended the collection of taxes in Kenya when he left office. What Gachagua has all along failed to explain to Kenyans is why Uhuru Kenyatta has never been taken to court over all the trillions of Kenya shillings in taxes he is alleged to owe the government, over all the farms he is alleged to have grabbed and over all the money he is alleged to have looted before he left office.
The outcry by the Ruto administration has left many Kenyans wondering whether the crimes alleged to have been committed by Uhuru Kenyatta- have been an excuse by the Ruto administration to misuse public funds extravagantly unchallenged and unnoticed.
On May 6, 2023, it was reported by the Star, a Kenya daily newspaper, that both the DP Gachagua and the Prime CS Mudavadi -had been awarded a total of Kshs. 5.6 billion for domestic and foreign travel for one year. From this figure, each one of the two Kenyan leaders was awarded Kshs. 233,333,333 every month for domestic and foreign travel; in other words, each was awarded Kshs.7,777,778 every day for domestic and foreign travel. Kshs.7,777,778 for a trip for one individual Kenyan daily is unbelievable.
In a nation where citizens struggle with the high cost of living, it is hard to believe that two leaders can be excused to spend Kshs. 466,666,667 every month for domestic and foreign travel only.
This is happening in the eyes of the Kenya Parliament, which is mandated by the law to safeguard the interests of Kenyans. Such misuse of public funds is a form of tactical corruption, looting public funds by those in authority. The Parliament must rise during such situations to rescue Kenyans from such extravagant behavior of those in power.
Through a bipartisan approach, the Kenya Parliaments should as a matter of urgency, discuss this matter thoroughly, providing the right direction regarding how Kenyan leaders should spend public funds without waste.
Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity
Counselor and Human Rights Activist
Former Secretary General
Kenya Civil Servants Union.
Connecticut, USA.
