Ruto advisors' travel, entertainment funds slashed in new budget

President William Ruto’s team of advisers will operate on a reduced budget of Sh478.7 million in the financial year starting July, down from Sh567.5 million in the current fiscal year ending June.

Before the latest cuts, the senior advisers and their support staff had a combined budget of Sh724 million for salaries, travel, and entertainment. This figure has now been slashed to Sh349.8 million, with salaries and allowances alone costing taxpayers Sh144 million, down from Sh307 million.

The advisors, who work from the State House, play a key role in shaping government decisions, especially on economic matters.

Unlike those who served quietly under former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto’s advisors are more visible and active in public affairs. David Ndii, the chair of the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors, is one of the most prominent figures in the team.

Under the new budget, salaries and allowances for the advisors will cost taxpayers Sh144 million, down from Sh307 million in the year ending June 2024. The economic advisory office, namely the Office of Economic Transformation, the Council of Economic Advisors, and the Office of Fiscal Affairs and Budget Policy, will take up nearly half of the total budget.

Council of Economic Advisers

The Office of the Council of Economic Advisors, chaired by economist David Ndii, has been allocated Sh92.7 million for operations, down from Sh177.2 million last year. This includes Sh37.6 million for rentals of produced assets, Sh13.4 million for foreign travel and subsistence, and Sh12.9 million for domestic travel and transportation.

Other allocations include Sh8.6 million for hospitality supplies, Sh8 million for miscellaneous operating expenses, Sh3.9 million for printing and advertising, Sh3.7 million for communication services, Sh3.3 million for general office supplies, and Sh1.2 million for routine maintenance. Members of this council include Moses Kuria, Prof Edward Kisiang’ani and Nancy Laibuni.

Economic Transformation and Fiscal Policy Offices

Raphael Cheruiyot, who heads the Economic Transformation Secretariat, will manage the largest individual advisory budget at Sh98.5 million. Travel and entertainment will take up Sh49.6 million of this allocation.

The Office of Fiscal Affairs and Budget Policy, under former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, will receive Sh31.5 million, down from Sh104.5 million. Rotich was appointed in February 2024 after a court dropped corruption charges against him related to dam projects worth Sh63 billion.

Other advisory units

President Ruto has also retained advisors in areas such as security, women's rights and climate change, though their budgets have also been trimmed.

The Office of the National Security Advisor, led by former Defence and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, will operate with Sh49.1 million, down from Sh86 million. The biggest share, Sh22.8 million, will go to rentals of produced assets.

Other key expenses include Sh7.5 million for hospitality, Sh6.3 million for domestic travel, and Sh5 million for foreign travel. Communication services will cost Sh3.2 million, office supplies Sh1.8 million, and routine maintenance Sh600,000. Former Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett is Juma’s deputy.

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The Office of the Women Rights Advisor, headed by Harriette Chiggai, has been allocated Sh45.5 million. Major allocations include Sh11 million each for rentals and other operating expenses, Sh8.8 million for domestic travel, Sh4.3 million for foreign travel, and Sh4.1 million for hospitality. Additional costs include Sh3.7 million for printing and advertising, Sh2.1 million for communication services, Sh1.8 million for office supplies, and Sh600,000 for routine maintenance.

The Office of the Council of Climate Change Advisor, led by former Principal Secretary Ali Mohamed, has the smallest budget at Sh15.2 million, a drop from Sh55 million. It will spend Sh5.6 million on domestic travel and related costs, Sh4.5 million on hospitality, Sh3.4 million on office supplies, Sh1.3 million on foreign travel, and Sh425,000 on communication services.

Although the overall advisory budget has been reduced, the four offices alone will spend over Sh200 million on operational expenses, excluding salaries and allowances. This continues to raise public concerns over the government's spending priorities, especially during a time of economic strain for many Kenyans.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Administration and Internal Security committee, State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito defended the spending on advisors, saying they had helped the President to make sound policy decisions on, among other things, the reduction in the cost of living.

“The ballooning number of advisors, so many, it is good to shed light on this committee on how much each advisor is paid,” Mt. Elgon MP Fred Kapondi said.

"The range is that some are at the level of a Cabinet Secretary, others a Principal Secretary. Advisors also come in different job groups and are assigned to which job group they come and are assigned based on their expertise," Metito said.