He revealed that the decision was made following an uproar from Kenyans who protested against the Finance Bill 2024
President William Ruto has announced that his administration will scrap off the Offices of the First and Second Lady.
Speaking during the Presidential Roundtable at State House, the Head of State revealed that the two offices will cease being part and parcel of the Kenya Kwanza administration beginning Monday, July 1 when the Financial Year 2024/25 begins.
He revealed that the decision was made following an uproar from Kenyans who protested against the Finance Bill 2024, which prompted him to reject it in its entirety.
President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto alongside Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his wife Dorcas Gachagua at State House before they departed for Mashujaa Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens on October 20, 2022. /PCS
“I know citizens have said there is no need for the office of the first lady and second lady but these are offices that have been there but because we have to live within our means, those offices from tomorrow will not be part of our equation because, in the face of what has happened, we have to trim down every other area,” the Head of State explained.
He also promised to address the opulence and extravagance displayed by some state officers, particularly Cabinet Secretaries and MPs.
Ruto promised Kenyans that they would see changes in the future, including reduced government spending and the elimination of unconstitutional offices.
“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,” Ruto said.
The scrapping of offices, he added, would extend to the Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS). He said “On CASs, the court declared themselves on that and we have respected that. We are not going to appoint a CAS until our economy can sustain that.”
During the same interview, the Head of State painted a bleak picture of Kenya’s future following the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024.
“We have dropped the Finance Bill. What does that mean? It means we have gone back almost 2 years,” Ruto told journalists.
“It means that this year we are going to borrow Ksh1 trillion to be able to run our government.”
The bill was intended to generate Ksh346 billion ($2.68 billion), or 3% of GDP, in additional revenue.
