Nairobi — Budgetary cuts within Statehouse now risk crippling operations at the house on the hill with revised budget estimates capping the budget at Sh4.3 billion downwards from Sh9.4 billion.
Running operations within Statehouse which include compensation of employees, domestic and foreign travel, hospitality supplies within the institutions now risk being halted.
Statehouse Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito is now requesting the National Assembly Committee on Security and Internal Security to reinstate Sh 1.7B of the budget to avert stifling operation within the institutions.
"President says we can't be pushing for budget cuts in other ministries without leading by example, but by the end of it, we might end up bringing to a halt all the activities of the office, let us reduce in a reasonable way, not to close the office," Metito said.
Compensation of employees including contractual employees and advisors in the office of the first lady will be adversely affected if the Sh 1.7B budget is not effected as they require Sh 591M of the allocation.
The quagmire is on how staff working under the Office of the First Lady will be compensated following President William Ruto's directive to scrap the office on the basis of austerity measures.
The Statehouse Comptroller insisted on the additional budget saying they risk facing legal suits should they terminate the contract outside the labor law mechanisms.
"We are requesting that those funds be retained for now as we try to regularize, because this people had contracts, most are not permanent and pensionable, they serve during the tenure of the presidency, stopping their contracts just like that will have some legal repercussions," Katoo said.
The Statehouse Comptroller expressed that even though the government was striving to effect budget cuts the 54 percent budget reduction at Statehouse was not feasible.
"What we were requesting that out of the Sh.5.1B that is being reduced, you add us some Sh.1.7B so that you cut the budget to Sh.3.3B which will be around 36% budget cut,"Katoo averred.
The development vote of Sh 1.5B for this financial year for the construction and renovations of state house and lodges which commenced in 2015 has been scrapped.
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Thirteen projects which are to be completed in 2027 including refurbishment of Nairobi State house, State House Mombasa and Nakuru state lodge will have to be delayed even as Statehouse says the situation will trigger court cases following binding contractual agreement with contractors.
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