This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
The Kenyan government has taken drastic measures to reduce public expenditure and operate within its financial means.
On September 25, 2019, acting Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani announced nine measures to deal with a bloated public expenditure.
One of the measures includes suspending all benchmarking and study tours until further notice.
Government delegates for missions abroad will be limited to a maximum of four persons, including the Cabinet Secretary.
Domestic air travel will be restricted to economy class, and purchases of newspapers and furniture will be slashed by 75 per cent.
Accounting officers have been ordered to conduct all government-sponsored trainings in the country, except for highly specialised courses.
The government has also ordered that provision of newspapers to all categories of staff be rationalised to restrict the spending to a quarter of the current budget.
Entities are encouraged to use technology and transact business through teleconference or use foreign missions and embassies abroad to transact government business.
International meetings, workshops, seminars, and study tours will be justified in terms of the benefits to the people of Kenya.
The government has also restricted the use of government transport outside official working hours and will require written authority from the accounting officers.
Additionally, civilian number plates on government vehicles will be restricted.
According to Mr Yatani, the measures will ensure that the government operates within its financial means and maintains macroeconomic stability.
