According to a report by the Nation, officials in both the national and county government have been exposed on their over expenditure in non-essential items in the yea 2023/2024.
This comes a week after the government issued a circular directing accounting officers across ministries, corporations and state agencies to tighten their belts with new austerity measures.
According to the investigation made by Nation Media Group, approximately more than Ksh 10 Million was used in purchasing what they term as non-essential items.
Among the items purchased were an office chair for the Kirinyaga Governor’s office bought at Ksh, 648,000, a supply of digital watches for state house worth Ksh 750,000 and two smart TVs, branded visitor’s book and day planner for Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) managing director’s office worth Ksh 438, 220.
Heavy duty branded umbrellas for the state house worth Ksh 3,000,000, a one month hired chase car for Homa Bay governor’s motorcade worth Ksh 522,000 and Kenya Port’s Authority carpet replacement in board chairperson’s and managing director’s offices going for Ksh 4,984,949 were among other items made in the exposé.
The government in their last week’s directive, ordered that accounting officers suspend and immediately cease the procurement, printing and production of corporate wear; including but not limited to t-shirts, shirts, tracksuits, and any other branded clothing items.
In the directive, the purchase of promotional merchandise such as calendars, diaries, umbrellas, power banks, key holders, bags, flasks, cups, branded traditional blankets/”Shukas and notebooks were also stopped.
“In that regard, and to further streamline expenditures and optimize the utilization of public resources; all ministries, state departments, and state corporation or agencies are directed to optimize their operations and rationalize all non-priority expenditure items,” Felix Koskei the head of the public service said in the circular dated March 18, 2024.
The latest directive is part of the Kenya Kwanza government’s measures to redirect public resources to priority areas supporting the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda(Beta).
The bizarre spending of tax payers money according to Nation:
-Smart watch pale State House -Kshs 750,000
-Heavy duty branded umbrellas at State House -Ksh.3,000,000
-Kirinyaga Governor’s chair for Anne- Kshs 648,000
-Homabay hired chase car for Governor Gladys -Kshs… pic.twitter.com/mV7HhCu542
— Kachwanya (@kachwanya) April 5, 2024