His Excellency the president has promised to reduce the cost of travelling to foreign countries by 50 percent. All public servants have been barred from visiting abroad for other interests if not for the benefit of Kenyans at large. He emphasized that going forward, only foreign trips that demonstrate tangible benefits for Kenyan taxpayers will be approved.
Speaking at a launching ceremony of Voi Gemstone Value Addition and Marketing Centre while at Moi Stadium in Taita Taveta, the president said that the move will see into saving that amount for other important projects. He said this correcting the reports that were made by a section of media that he was to reduce the travel cost by 50 million.
“We have cut travel budget by Sh11 billion in all ministries or departments and not the Sh50 million reported by the press. There will be no foreign conferences, workshops, and bench-marking for public servants,” said Ruto.
“Public servants who want to go shopping outside the country should use their own resources and not public funds. I will allow foreign trips that will add value to Kenyans,” the head of state added.
The gem stone project is expected to reduce the unemployment menace that people of taveta are facing and it is also ser to reduce massive exploitation that has been ongoing in that area. He also urged the unlicensed miners whose numbers have increased to 1,400 to register themselves before the law catches up with them.
Salim Mvurya who is the Mining Cabinet Secretary added all gemstones to be mined will be processed, weighed, valued, and packaged at the centre before being exported.
The head of state ordered that Samruddha Resources Kenya Ltd trhat extracts iron ore to pay the 20 million shillings that it owes to the community of Kishushe area in Wundanyi.
“I have been told that the investor has only paid Sh10 million and has a balance of Sh20 million which he should have cleared a long time ago. I want the investor to respect the people and pay the remaining balance failure to which we will come for him,”
This cut of cost comes amid questioning that the president has been subjected to by Kenyans on social media about the many travels that he has made when his leadership tenure began.
According to the Kenya’s controller of budget, the president has so far spent 20.1 billion shillings with 361 million spent on foreign travel. Parliamentary travels cost has hit 2.95 billion shillings while county foreign travels to 2.13 billion, with total national travel expenditure accounting for 20. 3 billion shillings compared to Ksh.17.5 billion spent by county governments. The office of the second in command and that of the Prime cabinet secretary has also been listed in the foreign travel expenditure that stands at 62.2 million shillings.