UhuRuto Cabinet Pay Cut

The Jubilee cabinet retreat at recently held at Fairmount Mt. Kenya Kenya Safari Club at Nanyuki has with no doubt arose diverse opinions with barely all media houses highlighting the story.The new cut will reduce the President’s and the deputy president’s earnings by 20% will cabinet secretaries  and permanent secretaries are set to have 10% of their salaries slashed.This comes even as the Salaries and Renumeration Commission raised a red flag over the national wage bill which the commission says is unrealistic and cripples the economy.

During the 7th March cabinet retreart the President and his cabinet threw their weight behind the matter breaking the news of the agreed salary cuts with members of his cabinet.Highlighting measures taken by his cabinat to tame the galloping public wage bill , the President said  they had firmly resolved to prudently manage the funds which Kenyans have entrusted to them.  ” First: Mindful of the rising public wage bill, my deputy and I will take a 20% pay cut and our Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries have accepted a 10% pay cut, with immediate effect,” said the President with his Deputy by his side nodding vehemently in agreement.The ministries chiefs were also firmly in support and loyal to this directive as evident by the fact that there were no divergent views.

It was also clear that government spending on foreign trips would came under a tight scrutiny and vetting.With regard to this the President to have been warning members of the cabinet stating clearly that a  new international travel policy, which will restrict foreign journeys to none but the most essential was being drafted.Wastage would also be the next thing to watch in minimizing government spending as Government  rationalizes the recurrent expenditure that add no value to public service delivery .

However, it also emerged that more is still expected of men and women manning the ministries as clearly put by the president,”Ladies and Gentlemen, you’ll forgive me for repeating that we came here to have a free and frank discussion of the year’s progress, and to set out our priorities for the year to come.  It is enough to say that in this, the fiftieth year of our independence, and the first of my administration, we recall with gratitude how far we’ve come.”

As the Salaries and Renumeration Commission meets to open a dialogue for public participation on the wage bill,it can only be fair for all Kenyans to have a sober discussion putting aside partisan interests.It is clear that our wage bill is getting out of control and something needs to be done .However, if opinions taked by media houses is anything to go by, Keyans seem to be the proverbial ostrich burying it’s head under the sun imagining by so doing , danger will elude it.Kenyans seem to be comfortable with the current wage bill as far as such poll are concerned!

As I wind up,it is my hope that a proper structuring and re-sructuring will be done in order to get rid of the so-called ghost workers and harmonize salaries among public servant to avoid disparities.We are Kenyans and we make Kenya.Kenya needs me and you at her greatest point of need.Lets all stand up and be counted as proud citizens!

story by WAKAYA JEREMIAH

 

Parking fees standoff in Nairobi city

  The recent move by the county government of Nairobi has with no doubts been criticized and condemned almost in unison.Both the hustlers or the so called sufferers   and  the rich folk seem to have taken issue with the county governors move to hike the parking fee by a whooping 200 percent!More notable though among the critics of this move is Nairobi senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko who outrightly came out to in defense of the rioting matatu operators in the city who spent the better part of yesterday in chasing battles with the men in blue.’This is a matter of public interest.This matter can paralyse the economy of this county and the country at large.”

Nairobi residents yesterday woke up to a harsh reality when PSV operators expressed their displeasure with the hike in parking fees.It is alleged that Mr. Evans Kidero had agree with the operators on charging 14-seater matatus Shs. 3650 as opposed to Shs. 5000 and buses Shs. 5500 as opposed to Shs.10000 per month.However most of the rioting operators found themselves in extreme situations as the came head on with police who were under instruction to disperse the rioting PSV operators who had made it impossible for other people to access the CBD.In his statement Kidero said,”Traffic flow was affected.The CBD wa inaccessible because protesting touts had blocked the entry points.”Governor Kidero insisted that he would not condone blackmail and that he can only meet with the PSV representatives if they agreed to clear the roads. Suprisingly , the governor went back to his City Hall office and calmly watched the unfolding drama from his office balcony.

On a quick rejoinder , the Cabinet Secretary in charge on Transport Eng. Michael Kamau gave an undertaking in a statement to newsrooms that all vehicles involved in blocking roads will have their number plates confiscated and their license revoked.

Legislatures in the senate equally threw their wait into the matter.Bungoma senator Bony Khalwale pleaded with the speaker that as a matter of agency, a comprehensive responce should be provided without further delay.Senator Sonko even likened Kidero’s approach as governing the county as is he was governing Mumias Sugar.”This is not Mumias Sugar.The governor as running this county the way he was managing Mumias Sugar”,said Mr. Sonko.The speaker ordered Mr. Sonko to take his sit before ordering the majority leader to do the due dilligence and furnish the senate with a response without delay.

Whether the crisis will continue is still unknown.For most businesses however , the had to count their loses as worker either repoted late or failed to turn up to work.Others however preferred to play safe and kept their businesses shut for fear of looting.

story by WAKAYA JEREMIAH