President needs more money for travel, ministry says

The Government is seeking more funds from Treasury to cater for the President’s travel expenses and other key operations in the current financial year.

The Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ministry also wants more money for rental space for officers, procurement of vehicles for missions abroad and personnel emoluments.

According to ministry officials, it would be impossible to cater for this through reallocation of funds from other budgetary items as is expected by Treasury.

“The President will have to travel and there is no doubt about it. We cannot tell him there is no budget. It therefore has to be enhanced,” Principal Secretary in the Ministry Karanja Kibicho told MPs on Monday.

He said the President’s travel is expected to cost more especially because an aircraft has to be hired for the purpose, given that the official one is undergoing maintenance.

OLD VEHICLES

The PS said the ministry’s budget for the 2013/2014 financial year has been drastically reduced affecting its operations in Kenya’s missions abroad and at the headquarters.

Austerity measures recommended to Treasury by Parliament in the 2012/2013 financial year were carried over to the current financial year leading to a loss of Sh900 million, he noted.

The ministry has asked for the intervention of Parliament to have the money reinstated in the budget to cushion the missions.

On Monday, the Parliamentary committee was also informed that the ministry faces acute shortage of vehicles in missions abroad.

“Some of the missions have old and unserviceable vehicles. This is indeed denting our image and reputation as a country,” he said at the meeting.

The ministry is seeking Sh270 million for the procurement of vehicles as no allocation was made, he added.