Uhuru's CASs to gobble up Sh388 million yearly
President Uhuru Kenyatta now has a bloated Executive, with at least 10 ministries having two Chief Administrative Secretaries.
The appointment of an additional eight CASs by the President on Wednesday raises their number in various government ministries to 37 up from 29.
This means that taxpayers will fork out more to fund their salaries and allowances at a time the country's public sector wage bill stands at 48 per cent of the total revenue raises annually.
The high-level government employments coincide with a warning by the international money lender IMF to the government to live within its means.
While advancing a Sh261 billion loan to Kenya, IMF asked the government to freeze employment and put more civil servants on contracts as part of the conditions for the facility.
A CAS takes home a cool Sh874,500 a month, meaning that it costs the country about Sh388 million in salaries alone annually.
A day after President Uhuru effected changes in the top members of the Executive by appointing new CASs, it has emerged they are not replacements but additions.
State House on Thursday told the Star that the President did not fire any CASs and that those appointed will continue to serve alongside those who have been in service in the same capacity.
“No one has been dropped,” State House spokesperson Kanze Dena told the Star in a text message when asked about the fate of the CASs who were not reassigned by the President.
This means the CASs whose fate was seen as uncertain following the latest Executive changes are in office.
These include Labour and Social Protection CAS and former Narok West MP Patrick Ole Ntutu, an ally of the Deputy President William Ruto, and Youth and Gender CAS and former Nairobi Women Representative Rachel Shebesh.
Others are former Subukia MP and National Treasury and Planning Ministry CAS Nelson Gaichuhie and Education CAS Mumina Bonaya.
The CASs appointed by Uhuru on Wednesday include former University of Nairobi student leader and political analyst David Osiany, a close ally of ODM boss Raila Odinga.
He was appointed as CAS for Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development.
Eric Simiyu Wafukho will now serve alongside Gaichuhie while Jackson Musyoka Kalla, an allay of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, will join Ole Ntutu at the Labour ministry.
Ex-West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin will serve as CAS at the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage together with Zach Kinuthia who was moved from the Ministry of Education.
Culture and Heritage CAS Hassan Noor Hassan who was moved to the Ministry of Education will work with another CAS Bonaya.
Lands CAS Gideon Mungaro who was moved to the Ministry to the Devolution will be working with another CAS Abdul Bahari.
Lina Jebii Kilimo who has been at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was moved to the Ministry of Public Service to work with Shebesh.
Winnie Guchu who served as CAS in the State Law Office was reassigned to the Ministry of Interior to join former Governor Hussein Dado.
Revenue collection in the first six months to December fell short of the Sh907.7 billion target by Sh107.6 billion underlining the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic’s disruptions on businesses.
The economy contracted by 5.7 per cent in second quarter of last year, the deepest in nearly two decades taking a hit from Covid-19.
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