Shock on Wanjiku as the Treasury has set aside Sh1.5 billion to cater for the retirement benefits of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and retired Vice-Presidents, including Kalonzo Musyoka, underlining the burden of keeping former State officials comfortable in retirement.
A source at the Treasury said the budget line labeled “Retired Presidents” will cater for retired State offices whose pension is captured under the Deputy President and Designated State Officers Act, including National Assembly Speakers, Chief Justices and their deputies as well vice presidents.
“We created the new budget line to accommodate retired offices under the Deputy President Retirement law,” said a top Treasury official who sought anonymity, citing sensitivity of the matter.
“We have many persons captured by the law seeking the benefits and they are hefty, hence the need for a new budget line.”
The allocation will increase to Sh2 billion in the year starting July 2020, which is higher than the Sh1 billion allocated for building affordable homes, Sh1.5 billion for constituency transformers, Sh400 million for regional cancer centers and Sh300 million for loans for the youth through the Uwezo Fund.
Overburdened Kenyans have lamented over this expenditure.
They have even mocked Kiambu’s current expenditure scandal claiming that they thought the county already took care of these bills.
In utter display of greed and appetite to loot from public coffers, Governor Ferdinand Waititu’s office allocated over Ksh.1 billion to State House functions including Ksh.902 million for coordination of State House functions and a further Ksh.180 million to benefit retired presidents. This despite clearly State House having its own budget.