Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich on Wednesday disclosed the amount of money that has so far accumulated in an account holding pay cuts from President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy and other top government officials's salaries.
The CS stated that the Transformative Fund account had collected Sh46.9 Million from the pay cuts over a period of two years.
“Bank balance in voluntary pay cut account at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) as at February 23 is Sh46, 993, 667,” the Treasury CS announced.
Rotich, however, indicated that not all public officers had followed suit in relinquishing part of their salaries as they had pledged, adding that the initiative was voluntary, the Business Daily reports.
In March 2014, President Kenyatta announced the bold and historic decision to take a pay cut, in a move that was aimed at reducing the ballooning public wage bill.
During the announcement made on the last day of a cabinet retreat at Mount Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki, 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.
Following the move, the president and his deputy were to forego Sh248,000 and Sh210,000 each month respectively. On the other hand Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries were supposed to give up Sh112,000 and Sh91,000 respectively.
The Salaries and Renumeration Commission (SRC) boss Sarah Serem, amid concerns on whether the pay cuts had been effected, noted that there was no policy or law to guide the matter, but only a written consent was required.
Ms Serem stated that several parastatal chiefs, and top government officers had written to the commission requesting to have their salaries reduced.
The kitty is meant to be used in various developmental projects.
