Murang'a County Senator Irungu Kang'ata, has come out and countered President Uhuru Kenyatta's plan to raise funds to combat the Covid-19 pandemic via salary cuts.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, the senator disclosed that he had decided to forego his budgeted travel allocation fund, and directed that it be directed towards fighting the pandemic.
The letter (dated March 27) in our possession was addressed to the Speaker of the Senate, Kenneth Makelo Lusaka, directing that his entire travel allocation be forfeited.
"Kindly I hereby notify your good office of my intention to forfeit my allocation of all trips entailing both domestic and foreign travel whilst undertaking my official duties
This in line with the emergency intervention measures put up in place by His Excellency the President to mitigate effects of the Coronavirus pandemic," it reads in part.
He went on to reveal that he had attached conditions that the same should also be channeled to the 'Elderly and Orphans Fund' of the government which recently got a boost of Ksh10 billion from the President.
Pressed on what guided his decision to table his alternative means to generate the extra money needed to effectively fight the virus that had infected 38 individuals in the country by March 28, he maintained that his plan would simply raise more money.
"In essence, if every Member of Parliament (in the Senate and the National Assembly) followed suit, the envisaged savings may be around Ksh5 billion which is more than the Ksh800 million which salary cuts from top public servants can generate," he revealed.
In a presser held at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, March 25, the President made an unprecedented announcement regarding voluntary salary cuts involving government officials.
President Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto agreed to an 80% pay cut, while Cabinet Secretaries agreed to contribute to the government's altruistic efforts to fight the pandemic by foregoing 30% of their gross monthly salaries.
"Chief Administrative Secretaries will also see a 30% reduction," Uhuru announced during the press conference.
He went on to call on the other arms and tiers of government to joins in the national endeavor, by making similar voluntary reductions; which would free-up vital funds.
Senator Kang'ata is currently the only legislator who has officially announced the forfeiture of all his allocated travel expenditure.
