For years now the Presidency has pushed for austerity measures in the government. On paper, the move paints the picture of an administration that is alive to the reality that is falling revenue collection, consequently limiting the budget for much needed development, and therefore ready to remedy the situation by cutting wasteful spending.
In reality, however, audit reports for recent fiscal years paint a different picture. While President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have gone as far as to freeze, among others, ‘unnecessary’ travel by officials of ministries and agencies, taxpayers have continually been forced to dig deeper into their pockets to top up their travel and entertainment budgets.
