Kenya's President William Ruto has pledged significant reforms in his administration, targeting the office of the First Lady, his economic advisors, and the cabinet.

In a Sunday interview with local media in Nairobi, President Ruto announced that the office of the First Lady would not receive funding in the new fiscal year starting today.

This decision comes amid widespread public discontent over the Finance Bill 2024, which proposed tax increases to fund government operations, sparking deadly protests across the country.

"There are some offices, including that of the First Lady and the Second Lady, that will not receive funds this year due to our current situation," President Ruto said in a televised interview.

The budget for First Lady Rachel Ruto's office was initially set to increase by 17.3 percent to Ksh696 million, largely for salaries, according to a parliamentary report.

Conversely, funding for the Second Lady Dorcas Gachagua's office was reduced from Ksh717 million to Ksh557 million.

Facing intense pressure, President Ruto refused to endorse the Finance Bill last week, stating that its withdrawal would force the government to borrow up to Ksh1 trillion over the next year. He instead called for further austerity measures, beginning with his own office.

"I direct that operational expenditure in the Presidency be reduced to eliminate allocations for the confidential vote, reduce travel budgets, hospitality, and the purchase of vehicles, renovations, and other expenditures," said Dr Ruto.

When asked about the fate of his economic advisors, Dr. Ruto hinted at possible changes: "Watch this space."

His key advisors include former Trade Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed and Economist David Ndii.

The president also expressed disappointment in his cabinet's performance, suggesting a potential reshuffle and dismissals. "I think the cabinet could have done better; I need to do a lot of soul-searching over this," he said.