The National Treasury has allocated Sh24 million for the construction of a mausoleum for the late former President Mwai Kibaki, budget disclosures show.
The Sh24 million mausoleum expenditure is covered in the approved budget estimates for the current 2022/23 financial year.
The Treasury last April spent Sh260 million through a supplementary budget to finance the State funeral for the former Head of State. A supplementary budget estimate tabled in Parliament on May 24, 2022, revealed that Sh260 million was released on April 25 to cater for the unforeseen expenditure following the death of the country’s third president.
To enable the sudden expenditure, the Treasury invoked Article 223 of the Constitution which allows the State to spend money not approved by Parliament and seek approval of lawmakers within two months of expenditure.
“Subject to clauses (2) to (4), the national government may spend money that has not been appropriated if – (a) the amount appropriated for any purpose under the Appropriation Act is insufficient or a need has arisen for expenditure for a purpose for which no amount has been appropriated by that Act; or (b) money has been withdrawn from the Contingencies Fund,” Article 223 says in part.
“The approval of Parliament for any spending under this Article shall be sought within two months after the first withdrawal of the money, subject to clause (3) and if Parliament is not sitting during the time contemplated in clause (2), or is sitting but adjourns before the approval has been sought, the approval shall be sought within two weeks after it next sits” it adds.
According to the Constitution, when the National Assembly has approved spending under clause (2), an appropriation Bill shall be introduced for the appropriation of the money spent.
The late Kibaki’s burial funds were released through the State Department for Interior and Citizen Services.
A retired Head of State in Kenya is entitled to attractive pension perks. Before their deaths, Mr Moi and Mr Kibaki each received good retirement benefits, including a fleet of luxury cars, a fully furnished office, and about 40 workers.
The retired heads of State were also entitled to other perks like fuel, house, and entertainment allowances running into hundreds of thousands of shillings that were paid for from the Presidency budget.
For instance, running Mr Moi’s and Mr Kibaki’s offices cost taxpayers Sh243 million in the year to June 2020, with compensation to their staff, excluding those seconded from the government, taking Sh126 million.
