Senate to Slash DP Ruto's Retirement Package

As 2022 approaches and the potential future leadership of the country unclear, Deputy President William Ruto can expect to take home a retirement kitty lesser than that of his predecessors if the Senate passes a bill aimed at reducing the benefits of a retired deputy president.

This is after a Senate committee adopted the recommendations of the Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated. State Officers) (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No. 2 of 2018) sponsored by Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina on Wednesday, November 20.

The proposed amendments sought to either change or erase a number of clauses from the Retirement Benefits Act.

The Retirement Benefits (Deputy President and Designated State Officers) Act, 2015, stipulates that “a retired deputy president shall, during his or her lifetime, be entitled to a monthly pension equal to eighty percent of the monthly salary of the entitled person’s last monthly salary while in office.”

"He is also entitled to a lump sum payment on retirement, calculated as a sum equal to one year’s salary paid after every four years among other benefits," the Act adds.

On August 7, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja proposed to have the interval in the clause increased from four years to five years.

Nominated Senator Farhija Ali also petitioned to have the interval with which a retired deputy president was entitled to a new saloon car not exceeding 2000cc and a 4x4 vehicle, from four years to five years.

If passed by Parliament, it would subsequently result in the reduction of DP Ruto's projected retirement kitty (if he was to retire after 2022) in that, he would make a third less after three regimes than what his predecessors enjoyed.