How Uhuru and Ruto Received 300% More Than Their Salary- Audit Reveals

by Michael Musyoka on Tuesday, 21 August 2018 - 7:30 pm

A new report by Auditor General Edward Ouko has revealed how President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto jointly received Sh148 Million which is 300% more than their salaries and benefits set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

According to the payroll data by the SRC, the President and the DP are meant to make Sh36.6 Million under the Consolidated Fund Services (CFS).

However, during the audit, Mr Ouko questioned the Sh111.8 Million difference in the pay for the year from June 2016 which displayed a huge discrepancy from the approved pay for the period starting 2013 to June 2017.

[caption caption="Auditor General Edward Ouko"][/caption]

Under the SRC pay guide, Mr Kenyatta's monthly salary range was announced to be between Sh1.23 Million and Sh1.65 Million with the maximum annual pay at Sh 19.8 Million.

Similarly, DP Ruto's annual salary was capped at Sh16.8 Million while his monthly pay was between Sh1.05 Million and Sh1.4 Million.

The Business Daily reported that sources at the Treasury explained that the Sh111 Million variance could have arisen from the Executive duo's benefits and perks.

In July, SRC cut the pay of State officers in a bid to save taxpayers Sh8 Billion annually.

In the new directive that included the salaries of the President and his deputy, the commission argued that there was a need to ease pressure on the wage bill.

During the August campaigns, President Kenyatta affirmed that he was fully behind a decision by the Salaries Commission to slash salaries to curb the country's wage bill.

“I fully support the recommendation of SRC that has cut the salaries of public servants from the President all the way down,” he stated.

[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto"][/caption]

He blasted MPs for calling for a pay rise maintaining that they were public servants and knew the amounts they were set to receive when campaigning for the seat.

“We are not masters but servants of the people from myself as President to the police, teachers and others. There cannot be a class of citizens in Kenya who believe that they are servants more than all of you,” he asserted.