President William Ruto's administration has made significant reductions in the retirement benefits allocated to retired Presidents, resulting in a Ksh20 million deduction for the financial year 2022/2023, which ends on June 30.
According to the supplementary estimates released by the National Treasury on June 15, the administration of statutory benefits for retired presidents will now receive Ksh832 million, down from the initial allocation of Ksh852 million made by former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration at the beginning of the financial year.
This reduction directly affects Uhuru, as he is the only retired president in Kenya currently receiving statutory benefits.
Under the Kenyan Presidential Retirement Benefits Act No. 11 of 2003, if a former president passes away, the surviving spouse is entitled to 50 percent of the pension. However, as Uhuru has made it clear that he will not retire, his critics, particularly within the government, pushed for the withdrawal of his benefits.
Proponents of Kenya Kwanza pointed to the Retirement Benefits Act, which stipulates that a retired president will only receive retirement packages six months after retirement. In response, embattled Jubilee vice chairperson David Murathe referred to Chapter 4 of the Constitution - The Bill of Rights - which guarantees all Kenyan citizens the freedom to make political choices, including the right to form or participate in forming a political party, participate in its activities, recruit members, and campaign for its cause.
Murathe argued that Uhuru should be entitled to the rights of a Kenyan citizen before being treated as a retired President. Uhuru himself declared that he would not yield to threats or coercion and would continue to serve as Jubilee's party leader.
On April 30, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula warned Uhuru about his ongoing political involvement and urged him to abide by the law and retire from active politics. Three days later, Gabriel Kagombe, Member of Parliament for Gatundu South, threatened to introduce a motion to prevent Uhuru from enjoying his retirement benefits.
Increased Funding for Ruto
While Uhuru's retirement budget faced reductions, the President's Executive Office received an additional Ksh3 billion in the supplementary budget, increasing the total amount from Ksh31 billion to Ksh34 billion.
The extra Ksh3 billion will cover State House affairs and government advisory services provided to the Deputy President. The Executive Office of the President will also receive additional funds for the power of the prerogative of mercy and counter-terrorism advisory services.
Furthermore, the Treasury allocated an additional Ksh2.6 billion to Ruto for coordinating State House functions. In the original budget, Uhuru's administration had allocated Ksh2.6 billion for the Deputy President's services, which was revised to Ksh2.5 billion in the supplementary budget.
According to the Treasury, these funds are intended to facilitate effective support to the Deputy President in executing his constitutional mandate.
Ruto's office will also receive Ksh586 million for managing cabinet affairs, resource surveys, and remote sensing.