Kenyan government officials have long enjoyed lavish lobster dinners, jet-setting jaunts and luxury watches, but, as protests rage across the country, President Ruto is tightening his belt.
Ruto has put a freeze on proposed pay rises for cabinet ministers and members of parliament, amid a financial crisis in Kenya that has prompted a wave of anti-government unrest.
The president had earlier asked for a review of plans to raise all state officials’ salaries by between 2-5 per cent but by Wednesday the government announced that the pay rises were off altogether.
“The president has emphasised that this is a time, more than ever before, for the executive and all arms of government to live within their means,” said Hussein Mohamed, Ruto’s spokesman.
It is Ruto’s latest concession after he last week withdrew a controversial finance bill that could saddle citizens with higher taxes.
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The U-turn came after weeks of protests which turned violent when police opened fire on demonstrators who stormed parliament, calling for Ruto to resign. Human rights groups said at least 39 people have been killed in the unrest.
The proposed tax hikes would have increased the cost of bread and oil and other essentials such as nappies and sanitary towels, while ordinary Kenyans are already in the throes of a cost of living crisis.
The aim was to shore up the finances of the heavily indebted East African powerhouse, which owes billions to international institutions including the International Monetary Fund and countries such as China.
However, Kenyans revolted at having to pay the price for successive governments’ borrowing, while also enduring rising food prices brought on by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The lavish lifestyle Ruto and his officials have apparently been enjoying in the midst of this fiscal crisis has incensed many.
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Ruto is a darling of the West, and was feted by US president Joe Biden on a state visit to the US earlier this year. Reports that he hired a luxury private jet for his trip to the White House caused controversy, with local media reporting the plane had cost $1.5 million.
The president denied this saying it had only cost Kenyan taxpayers about $80,000 and “friends” had helped with the costs.
The lavish state dinner the Kenyan government gave last year when the King visited was also much criticized in the local press and on social media. On the menu for the British monarch was lobster and salmon in a champagne beurre blanc.
Ruto is known for his penchant for luxury goods, with local media reporting he favors Bulgari watches and Christian Louboutin shoes. Kenyans have also expressed anger that Ruto’s wife has a budget for “the office of the first lady” — though this too has now been scrapped amid the austerity measures.
“Going forward you will see changes because we must do something about opulence and extravagance. We are going to take measures that will put us in the right place,” Ruto said in an interview on Kenyan TV on Sunday night.
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Ruto grew up desperately poor, but rose to become one of Kenya’s wealthiest men. He went from selling chicken on the roadside as a child to running business interests in real estate, farming and insurance.
He won elections in 2022 after dubbing himself “the hustler in chief” and promising to be a champion of the poor.
