What President Uhuru Kenyatta must do to save the taxpayer of huge wage bill

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing the national dialogue on how to contain the public wage bill.

By MARK KAPCHANGA

NAIROBI, KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta’s, and his deputy William Ruto’s, options for managing the rising burden of public wages are running out fast. It now appears they are left with only two — salary cuts and staff retrenchments — both of them political time bombs and in conflict with the Jubilee government’s promise to create jobs for Kenyans. In opting to force pay cuts for civil servants and other State officers, even in the face of the rising cost of living and a weakening shilling, both the President and deputy have set the ball rolling by forfeiting 20 per cent of their monthly pay.