President Ruto Limits Executive Members' Trips Abroad to 45 Days a Year
President William Ruto has limited the number of days that members of the executive can spend outside the country to 45 days per year.
In a memo issued by Chief of Staff Felix Koskei, the executive members should not travel for more than 15 days in a quarter and cannot be out of the country for more than seven days in a row, excluding travel days. The memo was addressed to Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries, chairpersons, and chief executive officers of state corporations. Additionally, Ruto has suspended all non-essential travel.
Koskei says that his office shall consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to determine if Kenya's participation in trips undertaken by government officials is necessary. Delegations led by a Cabinet Secretary should not exceed four people, including the CS. Delegations led by a Principal Secretary, Chief Administrative Secretary, chairperson, or CEO of state corporations shall not exceed three people, including the head of the delegation. Only relevant technical personnel will be included in the delegation for the trips to assist in meetings, discussions or presentations related to the trip.
People with disabilities will not require assistants to have clearance to travel with them. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi are also exempt from this requirement. When applying for clearance, officials must list all travellers and the total cost of the trip.
All travel clearance applications must be submitted at least seven days before the travel date and applications submitted after 5 pm will need to be justified by the CS. The application must include an invitation letter addressed to the applicant, the role to be played, and information on whether the trip is fully or partly sponsored. Additionally, it should provide a program of the proposed event highlighting critical dates and written confirmation from the head of procurement of the requesting agency on the proposed air ticket cost.
Comments
In this day and age of…
Permalink
In this day and age of sofisticated communication gadgerty that can connect us to any part of the at the click of the panya,these governement officials do not have to make unnecessary tripe at taxpayer's expense. Please take advantage of technology.Embrace it.I know there are still some deadwoods in our government offices that are still ambivalent about using these gadgets. And
gleefully embrace mundu khu mundu conferences.That's why I say, out with the old,in with the new.We have this young generation that is tech savy,and well educated,and capable. What is standing in their way is the " old boys club".
Anyway, these foreign trips are usually turned into shoping adventures,and pleasure sicking exrtavaganza.Iam told of an incident in Washington DC,afew years ago when Kenyan representatives in some international conference engaged in a fist fight over a Mzungu malaya...
I hope Ruto sticks to his guns,and probably reduces the days to 30.
We have become fond of regurgitating the word ACCOUNTABILITY without putting our officals to account for what they do.More so when it comes to foreign trips on taxpayers bill. Hypothetically, how would you fill if you sponsored your son to a tech. conference in Atlanta USA,all way from Kenya,and found out that in the 5 day conference your son appeared only in two? Let's use our hard earned tax money productively.
In this day and age of…
Permalink
In this day and age of sofisticated communication gadgerty that can connect us to any part of the at the click of the panya,these governement officials do not have to make unnecessary tripe at taxpayer's expense. Please take advantage of technology.Embrace it.I know there are still some deadwoods in our government offices that are still ambivalent about using these gadgets. And
gleefully embrace mundu khu mundu conferences.That's why I say, out with the old,in with the new.We have this young generation that is tech savy,and well educated,and capable. What is standing in their way is the " old boys club".
Anyway, these foreign trips are usually turned into shoping adventures,and pleasure sicking exrtavaganza.Iam told of an incident in Washington DC,afew years ago when Kenyan representatives in some international conference engaged in a fist fight over a Mzungu malaya...
I hope Ruto sticks to his guns,and probably reduces the days to 30.
We have become fond of regurgitating the word ACCOUNTABILITY without putting our officals to account for what they do.More so when it comes to foreign trips on taxpayers bill. Hypothetically, how would you fill if you sponsored your son to a tech. conference in Atlanta USA,all way from Kenya,and found out that in the 5 day conference your son appeared only in two? Let's use our hard earned tax money productively.
I believe it's called a…
Permalink
In reply to In this day and age of… by Maxiley (not verified)
I believe it's called a junket. I visit Kenya once or twice a year but the rest of the time, we do video calls which are remarkably cheap compared to an actual flight and a lot less tiresome. My opinion is give these people a travel budget that can only be used for travel. Once exhausted then WebEx, Teams will have to suffice. Also make sure it's economy plus or lower and only mid tier hotels or lower. Better yet negotiate rates with different chains - I'm thinking La Quinta - if you're in NYC, the DMV, London etc use public transportation and do that benchmarking crap they always talk about so they can improve public transportation in Kenya. Most of them are from small villages and have used matatus. Hell I'm from Nairobi and I'm familiar with matatus and remember when KBS was king. I learned to stretch the 50 bob I got at the beginning of the week (I went to day school kutoka mwanzo mpaka mwisho) so these fools might learn something too.
Great move! Joyriders on…
Permalink
Great move! Joyriders on taxpayers expense can quit!!!
He better Limit his Too…
Permalink
He better Limit his Too. After all He is the No.1 and most Tanga😁Tangara of all Tanga-Tangaras.
Really like all this will…
Permalink
Really like all this will Apply we are not stupid ,this is just in paper but this politicians will do as they please .
...so how do you want it…
Permalink
In reply to Really like all this will… by A GIRL TOTO (not verified)
...so how do you want it reinforced?
The length of an overseas…
Permalink
The length of an overseas trip is not the issue, the issue is how much public funds the trip cost per person and the value of the trip to taxpayers. There was a CS in the Kibaki administration who was arrested in Oakland CA for loitering in a high crime, drugs and prostitution-infested neighborhood. He is now the head of a parastatal in the Ruto government. Should I disclose his name?
Please???
Permalink
In reply to The length of an overseas… by MakOnyango (not verified)
Please???
I hope this will be…
Permalink
I hope this will be oversighted strictly. Traveling officials use it as money maker. One trip pays millions more than annual salary for these corrupt politicians and civil service
SAMOEI: Siku hizi kuna "Zoom…
Permalink
SAMOEI:
Siku hizi kuna "Zoom." Kama hujui, nakuomba ujifunze na kulinda mali ya umma kwa safari zinazofanywa na wana UDA za kuchoma na kupoteza pesa za Kenya.
Waste of time, the gravy in…
Permalink
Waste of time, the gravy in state appointments is in the foreign trips where so called imprests amount up to $2000 per day, paid in advance and without requirements for accounting. Their girlfriends/secretaries pocket $350-$500 daily. They cook up the flimsiest reason to travel and ensure they are out at least 20 days in every month, and the 10 days in the office are just for planning the next trip. Nothing will stop this corruption, Ruto's own state house staff is in on it. I had a close friend in uhuru's state house and saw her grow filthy rich in less than five years.
What is this they have to go…
Permalink
What is this they have to go abroad for?
Add new comment