New data from Treasury reveals that former President Mwai Kibaki is poised to be the highest-earning serving and retired public servant in Kenya.
According to a report by Business Daily, the former head of state's earnings doubles that of President Uhuru Kenyatta whose monthly salary is pegged at Ksh1.44 million.
The publication further indicated that the former head of state will be making Ksh2.86 million beginning July 1 beating both the president, his deputy, William Ruto, and heads of parastatals.
Broken down, the estimates, which were forwarded to Parliament for approval, indicated that the former president's perks totalled to Ksh34.43 million in the upcoming financial year.
With the estimates, this becomes the first time that Kibaki's pension is listed in the estimates since 2013 when his perks were put together with that of former President Daniel Moi.
Moi's pension was, however, discontinued after he passed on in February 2020.
Kibaki's fortune is amalgamated from various allowances including fuel, housing and entertainment.
With the total, the former head of state earns a monthly pension slightly lower than that of Uhuru and Ruto whose combined monthly earnings totals to Ksh3.3 million.
The margins of former heads of state pensions have been on a steady rise despite outcry over measures to cut down state spending. The pension increased from Ksh64 million in the 2017 financial year to Ksh74 million in this financial year slated to end in June 2020.
When they assumed office, Uhuru and Ruto set precedence by announcing a pay cut in a move that was aimed at reducing the ballooning public wage bill.
Kenyatta and Ruto offered to take a 20 per cent salary cut, while Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and parastatal heads were set to earn their salaries 10 per cent less.
By March 2016, the Transformative Fund account had collected Ksh46.9 Million from the pay cuts over a period of two years.
“Bank balance involuntary pay cut account at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) as at February 23 is Ksh46, 993, 667,” announced the then Treasury CS Henry Rotich
