The cost to the taxpayer of keeping retired president Daniel arap Moi (pictured) in comfortable retirement more than doubled last year, putting him firmly among the best paid public servants in Kenya.
The cost to the taxpayer of keeping retired president Daniel arap Moi in comfortable retirement more than doubled last year, putting him firmly among the best paid public servants in Kenya.
Treasury documents show that Mr Moi, who has largely kept to non-official duties and political campaigns, pocketed Sh58.4 million in allowances, reflecting a major jump in the cost of his retirement package.
Mr Moi had received an average of Sh12 million in personal allowances since 2006, before the sudden and unexplained rise in his retirement pay.
The payment means Mr Moi has cost the taxpayer more than Sh100 million in allowances alone since 2006.
In the fiscal year starting July, nevertheless, Mr Moi will have to live within the modest pay of Sh18 million in personal allowances.
Treasury plans to keep the payout at that level in the next three years at the expiry of which he will be joined in retirement by President Mwai Kibaki as per the stipulations of the new Constitution.
Treasury officials on Monday declined to comment on the sudden rise in the retired president’s take-home and Mr Moi’s personal secretary Lee Njiru referred our inquiries to the head of the civil service, Francis Muthaura.
Mr Moi retired in 2002 after serving as Kenya’s President for 24 years, which has entitled him to regular payments, the first ever for a former head of State in Kenya. The first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, died in office.
The numbers published by Treasury indicate the State at the same time provided a reimbursable medical expenditure cover for inpatient services amounting to Sh8 million to Mr Moi.
This figure, also set to remain constant, was first factored in the 2006/07 estimates. In terms of personal allowances, Mr Moi took home more money than President Kibaki who earns Sh16.1 million in personal allowances annually. The President was also paid Sh8.4 million in basic salary meaning he took home Sh24.5 million in the current year. President Kibaki constitutionally vacates office in 2012/13 and his successor will inherit the same payments, according to projections carried in the recurrent estimates.
Details of Mr Moi and his successors’ pay are contained in the recurrent expenditure estimates under the Consolidated Funds Services. This is the account under which constitutional office holders and debt services are paid from.
In terms of payment, the Teachers Service Commission, employer of all government teachers, takes most of the cake with the chairman, deputy and members allocated Sh200.9 million.
It is equalled by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, which is in the process of being set up.
Like TSC, the Civil Service salary determiner will have its budget scaled up to Sh211.7 million by 2013/14.
A number of constitutional commissions are winding up and will not cost the taxpayer any money in the coming financial year.
They include the Interim independent Electoral Commission, the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review and Interim Independent Constitution Dispute Resolution Commission.
But the pay burden on taxpayers will not ease because the Constitution has created even more commissions and constitutional offices that are set to push up the salaries and allowances bill.
Top in the list of new commissions is the National Land Commission, where office holders will take home a total of Sh125 million in the coming year.
Parliamentary Service Commission members will take home a similar amount of money while the Controller of Budget office, where the aborted selection of Mr William Kirwa sparked controversy, has been allocated Sh11.5 million. National Police Service Commission gets Sh125.4 million while Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission get Sh211 million.
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