This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
Published on November 2, 2019, Kenyans are beginning to question the frequency and value addition of President Uhuru Kenyatta's travels outside the country.
State House hired a private jet for the President's trips to Japan and Russia, costing Sh1.5 million per hour, at a time when the government announced it was broke and scaling down operations.
While Kenyans want to see their country prosper, they are concerned that these trips have not been undertaken in good faith and are not yielding a return on investment.
The trips are shrouded in secrecy, with the public only learning about them after the President has reached his destination, often after sustained pressure.
Transparency and accountability are essential when using taxpayers' money to travel abroad, and the President's office should be open about his itinerary and expenses.
Good governance demands that the number one public officer sets the pace for the rest of the country, and Kenyans are not asking for the moon, only the bare necessities of his oath of office.
The Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Amb Ukur Yatani, has highlighted the government's financial struggles, including a gaping hole in revenue targets, and the need to cut government expenditure to avoid further economic woes.
Experts have been warning about uncontrolled borrowing for years, but their advice has been ignored, leading to the current economic crisis.
The Judiciary has also been affected, with a worrying circular indicating their intention to cut budgets for crucial functions due to the financial constraints.
Court sessions are currently frozen, taking Kenyans back to the painful era of case backlogs, and the government's actions are being seen as an accomplice in the denial of justice to users of the court.
