Since presidential inauguration on September 13, the government of Dr. William Ruto has been urging Kenyans to tighten their belts.
Ironically though, despite claiming that former president Uhuru Kenyatta ruined the economy and they found empty coffers at the National Treasury, President Ruto is set to make a bigger and costlier executive than Mr. Kenyatta had.
According to a report that appeared in the Daily Nation, Dr. Ruto will announce 49 permanent secretaries. These will be seven more than the 42 permanent secretaries Mr. Kenyatta had in his government.
In addition to the permanent secretaries, President Ruto has also moved to bring back the position of CAS with over 20 people said to be lining up for appointment to these positions.
According to the Nation report, the bigger number of permanent secretaries will see taxpayers cough an extra Sh. 321 million to meet their salaries within five years.
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The seven additional permanent secretaries will cost an extra Sh. 5.4 million every month and Sh. 64.2 million every year.
In the executive enlargement plan, the Ministry of Health which had a single permanent secretary will now have two serving in the departments of Medical Services and the department of Public Health.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration will have three departments. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be split into two state departments and the name altered to Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs with the departments referred to as Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs.
The Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works will now be referred to as the Ministry of Roads, Transport, and Public Works. It will be headed by Kipchumba Murkomen and will contain three departments —Roads, Transport and Public Works.
At the same time, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development will contain three state departments in Lands and Physical Planning, Housing and Urban Development.
