Uhuru Kenyatta's office denies government's claims on financial allocations

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s office has refuted claims by the Kenya Kwanza government of his successor, William Ruto, regarding financial allocations for his office.

At a press briefing in Nairobi on Monday, Director of Communication Kanze Dena highlighted significant discrepancies in the funds allocated to Kenyatta's office.

Dena revealed that despite a parliamentary allocation of Sh655 million for the 2022–2023 financial year, the office only received Sh28 million, a mere 4.4 per cent of the total.

She said the amount primarily covers allowances for domestic travel and two official trips, with no provision for salaries and medical insurance.

“In the year 2022-2023, parliament allocated this office 655 million shillings. To date, the office can only confirm spending of 28 million shillings on domestic travel allowances and two official trips. This does not include the payment of salaries and medical insurance. No other monies spent can be accounted for by this office,” she said.

The sentiments contradicted remarks Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura issued last Friday, asserting that Kenyatta receives a lump sum payment of Sh48 million annually for each of his two terms in office, alongside various monthly allowances and benefits.

He said the benefits included a monthly pension of Sh1.6 million, monthly allowances of Sh1 million, including a monthly entertainment allowance of Sh200,000, a house allowance of Sh300,000, a fuel allowance of Sh200,000, and Sh300,000 for water, electricity, and telephone services.

“He also benefits from a comprehensive medical and hospital cover worth Sh20 million for both local and overseas treatment for himself and his spouse. Importantly, all these benefits are exempt from tax,” Mwaura said.

Paying out-of-pocket

In stating the position of Kenyatta's office, Dena said the former president has been personally funding the office’s expenses due to a lack of access to the allocated budget.

“The lack of access to our rightful budget allocation has forced the retired president to run the office from his pocket, paying all the bills the office incurs, contrary to normal implementation for any other public office,” she said.

She also noted that for the financial year 2023-2024, which will soon end, the office had not received any portion of the allocated Sh503 million.

“The year is ending without the office having any access to this allocation. The total amount for the two years, that we have not had access to, is approximately Sh1 billion. Again, no other monies spent can be accounted for by this office,” she said.

She, however, confirmed that salaries and medical insurance had been paid.

For the financial year 2024-2025, Dena said the office was waiting to see if it would be issued the proposed amount of Sh579 million.

She said they were facing challenges due to the lack of substantiation of expenses and unresponsive accounting officers.

“In the new year 2024-2025, the budget allocation is 579 million shillings. The office is waiting with bated breath to see if this will be honoured," she said.

"The quagmire that the office is in is that the office cannot substantiate what has been used and where the monies have been used since several requests and attempts to get budget returns from the accounting officer have fallen on deaf ears."

PRESS STATEMENT.

RE: BENEFITS TO THE OFFICE OF THE 4TH PRESIDENT.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press and thank you for honoring our invite.

We invited you here today to give a formal response on an issue that was addressed by the Government Spokesperson Mr. Isaac… pic.twitter.com/zRQ3Y483fa

— Office of the 4th President of Kenya. (@4thPresidentKE) June 10, 2024

Office and vehicles

Dena also refuted claims by Mwaura that the retired president enjoys a fully furnished and well-maintained office space of his choice, paid for by the government.

Mwaura also said Kenyatta is entitled to two new cars of his choice, replaceable every three years, with an engine capacity of at least 3000 cc, and two other 3,400 cc vehicles, also replaceable every three years.

“He was allocated these vehicles on retirement, and their replacements will be factored in the budget for the 2027–2028 financial year,” he said.

Dena denied all the claims, saying the office in Nyari, selected by the late President Mwai Kibaki, was the designated office for the former President.

“On the issue of the retired president enjoying a fully furnished and maintained office space of his choice ... this took us by surprise. It is public knowledge that the State House has been very clear on the position of the office in Nyari as the office that the former president should use based on the fact that the office was bought by the government," she said.

"[This] position was clearly articulated by State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed during a question and answer session at a press briefing on President Ruto's visit to the United States of America, held two weeks ago. The statement that the former President enjoys a fully furnished and maintained office of his choice provided by the government is incorrect. To date, the office matter remains unresolved.”

Regarding the vehicles, Dena said the former president was allocated two Toyota Land Cruisers, a Mercedes Benz, and a Range Rover currently used by former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

Three Toyota Prados are being used by his security detail, while a Toyota Prado and a Subaru Forester are for office operations.

“What the government spokesperson did not clarify is that the vehicles allocated to the former president for personal use are not new. They were part of his motorcade when he left Kasarani after the inauguration ceremony,” Dena said.

She indicated that the vehicles given to the former president are being used on a transitional basis.

“The office would like this to go on record: that after transition, a conversation on the purchase of vehicles as required by law commenced between the two offices. Identification of the vehicles was done, down to the colour of the said vehicle, and then the conversation froze. To date, no discussions have been revived. We do not know if the cars were purchased or not."

Dena further said the fuel cards have not been operational as they were blocked by the State House in March 2023, and that the vehicles have not been undergoing maintenance.

“The position of the office of the 3rd retired president is that the government of the day has [neither] undertaken nor facilitated any repairs and maintenance of all the vehicles. [It] equally stopped fueling the vehicles under this office."

Dena also mentioned that only two official trips have been facilitated by the current government since Kenyatta’s retirement: a trip to Ethiopia for an African Union-led peace process and a visit to Burundi for the East African Community Summit on peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The office submitted other requests for trip facilitation but received no response,” Dena noted.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta arrives in the DRC for the inauguration ceremony of president-elect Felix Tshisekedi. (Photo: File/X/Office of The Fourth President of Kenya)

Mama Ngina Kenyatta

Kenyatta’s office also raised issues regarding the former first lady and surviving spouse of the late President Jomo Kenyatta, stating that she has not been receiving her entitled benefits as per the Act.

Mwaura had claimed that the offices of the third retired president and Mama Ngina Kenyatta use a total of 12 vehicles at the expense of the state.

“These are two Toyota Land Cruisers with a 4,000 cc engine capacity, one Mercedes Benz with a 5,000 cc engine, four Toyota Prados with 2,700 cc engines, two Range Rovers with 4,200 cc engines, two Range Rovers with 5,000 cc engines, and one Subaru Forester with a 2,000 cc engine," he said.

"These vehicles are fully fueled and maintained by the government. The former president has been issued four fuel cards, and Her Excellency Mama Ngina Kenyatta has three fuel cards to facilitate the fueling of their vehicles."

Dena clarified that the vehicles she uses were allocated by the late presidents Daniel Arap Moi and Kibaki during their tenures.

She said the former First Lady is entitled to benefits amounting to 50 per cent of the late husband's pension.

“All drivers and security details allocated to her were withdrawn via a phone call on July 18, 2023, and her fuel cards have been blocked since March 2023. She has been maintaining these government vehicles at her own expense,” Dena said.

Dena called on the relevant institutions, including Parliament, the Auditor General, and the Controller of Budget, to address these issues and ensure accountability and adherence to the rule of law.