The row between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the current regime appears to be far from over, following his support for Azimio leader, Raila Odinga.
Already, a section of Kenya Kwanza politicians and close allies of President William Ruto are mulling stripping Uhuru of a number of privileges unless he toes the line or tones down.
On Wednesday, February 1, Nandi Senator Simon Cherargei urged Ruto to withdraw the privileges Uhuru has been enjoying since he handed over power in September 2022.
According to the vocal lawmaker, and a close ally of Ruto, the former head of state has been enjoying favours that a retired president should but he is still active in politics.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei at an address in his office.
Courtesy
Outlining the privileges, he noted that Ruto needed to withdraw the government vehicles, security detail, and monetary benefits enjoyed by a retired president.
“Under the law when you retire as president you are given some government support line vehicle security, money and office but if you saw him on Monday, he is still active in politics he hasn’t retired,” he noted.
According to the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, a retired president is entitled to a lump sum payment on retirement equal to one year’s salary for each term served.
He is entitled to monthly pension fuel, house and entertainment allowances and Ksh332,062 to cater for his electricity, telephone and water bills.
The former head of state is also entitled to at least 30 office and home staff that include two personal assistants, four secretaries, four messengers, four drivers and up to six security guards.
To cater for his transport, he is entitled to two four-wheel drive motor vehicles of his choice, replaceable every three years and an Office of the retired president not exceeding 1,000 square metres, with appropriate furnishings and equipment as well as staff.
Together with his wife, they are entitled to diplomatic passports and local and international travel allowance of up to four trips a year not exceeding two weeks each and access to the VIP lounge at all airports within Kenya.
Cherargei added that Uhuru was not in a position to continue leading peace envoy in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since he was backing Raila, who denounced Ruto’s presidency as illegitimate.
His remarks came after Uhuru convened an urgent meeting with East African Community’s technical advisers to address the deteriorating security situation in the eastern DRC.
“Uhuru should be recalled as DRC peace envoy because he is associating himself with people who do not recognize the government of Kenya so which confidence does he have to lead a peace role in DRC?” he questioned.
Regarded taxation, the senator noted that it was against the law for any Kenyan to evade paying taxes, proposing that Uhuru’s name be expunged from list of those who are exempted from the obligation.
“When the president started the issue of tax reforms, tax payment and fighting tax evasion Azimio activities heightened and we know Raila is a proxy being used by Uhuru.
I am deleting the words that when you are doing taxation the estates of the late President Daniel Moi and Jomo Kenyatta are exempt and am now replacing it not to tax the disabled as provided by relevant law,” he uttered.
While speaking at the late professor George Magoha’s home on January 31, Uhuru dismissed the ruling government’s attempts to go after his family.
“Don’t worry about these people who are making noise, people who have nothing else to do will always make noise. That’s life. We’ll mind our business,” Uhuru stated.
This was after Mt Kenya senators called on Ruto to conduct an audit into the tax waivers allegedly enjoyed by the former Head of State since ascending to power.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his DRC counterpart Felix Tshisekedi at the Palais de la Nation on April 21, 2021
PSCU
Discussion about this post