Nairobi — President William Ruto has welcomed budget cuts recommendations by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) terming them as "practical."
In a joint statement released Saturday night, NADCO proposed a 50 per cent budget cuts on travel expenditure and a 30 per cent reduction on allowances paid to public officers to cushion Kenyans from economic hardships.
Speaking during a Sunday service at Nairobi's Priesthood Fellowship Church, Ruto said that his administration will make every effort to act on the recommendations in order to manage debt and cut the cost of living that has afflicted Kenyans.
"I want to congratulate all the teams that were involved in the dialogue process they have come up with recommendations. I have seen the recommendations; they are in good stead all the recommendations they have made they are practical," Ruto said adding that his office is already implementing the 50 per cent budget cut proposal on travel.
Commenting on the 30 per cent budget reduction for allowances, the President made a counter proposal of 50 per cent which he said is critical to tackling public spending.
"We are going to work on those recommendations to reduce in areas they have recommended."
Despite President Ruto's announcement that the government will cut travel allowances paid to government officials, state officers have however continued to globe-trot at the expense of taxpayers.
While challenging the lawmakers to expedite the proposed reforms, Ruto committed to execute the recommendations that that touch on the executive without any delay.
He further appealed to Kenyans from all the political affiliations to unite to achieve the country's overall prosperity.
President Ruto said that through unity, the government will be able to effectively reduce the cost of living and create opportunities for Kenyans.
Unity call
"The job of the rest of us as Kenyans now is to unite and move together into the future to build our country, to build the unity of the Citizens of our country and to work on our economy so that we can do what we can, grow jobs and we can enhance production and productivity," he said.
The NADCO deal signed by Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka (Azimio Coalition) and his co-chair, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah (Kenya Kwanza Coalition), also recommended that the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in liaison with the national Treasury reduce the road maintenance levy and the anti-adulteration levy by Sh 5 and Sh 3 per liter respectively.
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"NADCO recommends the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in liaison with the national Treasury reduce the road maintenance levy and the anti-adulteration levy by Sh5 and Sh3 per liter respectively," a joint statement by Ichung'wah and Musyoka stated.
The proposal on the cost of living is among five others that were made by the committee which was established through a parliamentary process in August.
Other recommendations touch on establishment and entrenchment of state offices, fidelity to the law on multi-party democracy, electoral justice and entrenching of funds supervised by Members of Parliament in the constitution.
Ichung'wah and Kalonzo confirmed that the proposals had been forwarded electronically to both President William Ruto and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga.
They expressed optimism that the joint report would help address the challenges ailing Kenyans including high cost of living.
"It is our firm belief that the Report has addressed the issues that formed the basis of the talks and the recommendations therein will progressively heal our wounds," the two said in a joint statement.
