Amina Mohammed, Henry Rotich summoned to explain difficulty in funding DP William Ruto’s foreign trips

Two cabinet secretaries were summoned following complaints from State House that William Ruto was finding it difficult to access money for his official foreign duties. (Photo: DPPS)

Two Cabinet secretaries have been summoned to explain why Deputy President William Ruto has to beg for money when on foreign trips.

The move came following complaints from State House that Mr Ruto was finding it difficult to access money for his official foreign duties.

The MPs want Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohammed and National Treasury's Henry Rotich to explain the difficult in funding Ruto's foreign duties.

The two will appear before the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and National Security in a fortnight to explain why they have not given Ruto a budget line for foreign travel. State House team dealing with the Presidency budget told the committee that they always beg the Treasury to allow them divert money earmarked for other resources to Ruto's trips.

The Presidency budget includes the combined offices of the Cabinet, the President and the Deputy President.

The team was trying to justify a Sh519 million budget change in the items under the Office of the Deputy President.

The money is not just for the pending bills incurred in international travel, but also for hospitality, furniture and other supplies for Ruto's official home.

State House Administration Secretary John Makumi and the Chief Finance Officer Mary Kundu told the committee that the President's visits are catered for by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but failed to understand why when the visits are delegated to the Deputy President, the ministry refuses to pay.

"The position right now is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs only funds the President," said Mr Makumi, and added that every time Ruto goes abroad, they have to get the permission of the national treasury to reallocate the money.

"This is a very active presidency. The problem is that the provision for foreign trips for the President is under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Any time that the Deputy President has to represent the President, we have to run around and look for money. That is how we accumulate pending bills," added the chief finance officer.

Committee Chairman Asman Kamama (Tiaty), members Francis Mwangangi (Yatta), Humphrey Njuguna (Gatanga), Alice Wahome (Kandara), David Gikaria (Nakuru Town East), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani) said they found it odd that even when the President has delegated the duties to his deputy, State House had to go to Treasury to get permission to spend money on Ruto and his delegation.