This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
On May 5, 2020, the Treasury announced plans to slash the budgets for the offices of First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto's wife, Rachel Ruto, in the next financial year.
The Treasury has cut non-essential spending on budget lines like travel, entertainment, motor vehicle purchase, and fuel for the two offices, resulting in a 39 percent drop in the allocated funds.
The domestic and foreign travel budget in the office of Mrs. Kenyatta has been reduced by 54 percent to Sh37.9 million, while entertainment or hospitality allocation is down Sh101 million to Sh90.9 million.
Travel allocation for Mrs. Ruto's office for the year starting July will reduce by 52.8 percent to Sh51 million, with the entertainment budget cut to Sh17.2 million from the Sh34.5 million allocated in the current fiscal year ending June.
The cuts will see Mrs. Kenyatta's office budget drop to Sh238.8 million from the current Sh426.1 million, while Mrs. Ruto's office budget will be slashed from the current Sh297.4 million to Sh213.6 million.
Since the Jubilee administration assumed office in 2013, taxpayers' money allocated to the two offices has more than tripled, with the Treasury allocating Sh723.6 million for their offices in the current year.
