Wameanza kutuiga, miaka miwili mbele TZ haikawii kuwa nchi ya mfano
Treasury bans foreign trips for public officials
By Moses Michira | Wednesday, Nov 18th 2015 at 22:10
The National Treasury of Kenya has banned all international bench-marking and study tours by national and county officers. In a move aimed at saving billions of shillings, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich announced that all trips had been suspended with immediate effect.
In the last financial year, public officials spent up to Sh20 billion in travelling expenses, almost half of the country's healthcare budget. The national government spent Sh10.8 billion on international and domestic travel while counties spent nearly Sh9.2 billion. Other areas where the State will cut back expenses include breakfast meetings, purchase of office furniture and Christmas cards.
Mr Rotich's directive comes amid public outcry on the level of wastage of resources through unnecessary international travel, months after a similar caution was issued by Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo.
See also: Counties' billions lying idle, says Treasury CS Henry Rotich
"These measures affect both county and national governments, and I am copying a circular to the Finance county offices," Rotich said yesterday after launching the public participation of the next national budget.
Ironically, tens of public officers are part of the Kenyan delegation currently attending the Assembly of State Parties of the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
"We have also asked the county officials to hold most of their meetings at their county headquarters and reduce the many breakfast meetings," he said.
He added: "We are also going into the Christmas period and I have noticed many ministries' departments and authorities continue to print Christmas cards, calendars and even T-shirts. This expenditure will also not be entertained this time."
Rotich will present the spending cuts in a supplementary budget to be approved by the National Assembly. Already, another legislation to raise additional revenues through revised excise taxes has been passed and is awaiting enactment.