The nominees, if approved by MPs, are set to take home at least Sh5.44 billion in salary and allowances, among other benefits over five years.
On Thursday, President William Ruto nominated 50 CASs, regarded by many as needless, triggering fierce criticism.
The President rewarded loyalists and August 9, 2022, election losers.
The appointments, it is argued, flies in the face of Ruto’s promises of austerity to channel funds to payment of debts and other pressing priorities, like construction of competency-based curriculum (CBC) classrooms.
Critics say CASs will balloon the already bloated wage bill, a situation that further burdens taxpayers’ who are already groaning under a huge load.
“He has rewarded 50 political rejects with salaries amounting to Sh1.2 billion every year for doing nothing!” Narok Senator Ledama Olekina said.
ODM secretary general and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna criticised the ‘bloated’ appointment as a skewed priority by the Kenya Kwanza regime.
“What are these many CSs for? It clearly shows this is a government that has its priorities upside down,” the Senate deputy minority leader said.
University don Macharia Munene termed it a total wastage of public money to pick 50 CAS to perform 'assistant minister roles' for only 22 Cabinet Secretaries.
"People who are complaining are justified. It is wastage and it not good for the President," Munene said.
Each CAS will get a monthly salary of Sh765,138, a house allowance of Sh200,000 and an entertainment allowance of Sh100,000 per month.
This puts the monthly earning for a CAS at Sh1.06 million or Sh12.78 million per year. This translates to Sh639.08 million per year for the 50 CASs alone, or Sh3.19 billion in five years.
Each of them would also get a one-off car grant of as much as Sh10 million and a mortgage of as much as Sh35 million.
They would also enjoy an outpatient medical cover of Sh10 million and Sh3 million for inpatient for each CAS.
xxxxxLast year, former CS George Magoha announced that the government at a cost of Sh788, 000.
This implies the Sh5.44 billion that the CASs are set to earn could finance at least Sh6,909 classrooms.
This would have would have gone a long way in decongesting the classes and made the environment more conducive to learning.
Currently, many classes are congested, with most lacking basic materials including desks and books.
Many people say the CAS positions are for rewarding political loyalists as they are not established by the Constitution or an act of Parliament.
Consequently, they should be scrapped and funds directed to priority areas.
But the Public Service Commission, which created the positions at the request of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, has defended the establishment of the offices.
In a response to a case filed by Law Society of Kenya, the PSC through chief executive Simon Rotich denied the positions would balloon the wage bill.
He submitted that the roles of the CAS include responding to issues and questions touching on the portfolio assigned to the office.
They are providing liaison with the National Assembly and Senate, he said.
The officer holder also provides liaison with county governments on matters of concurrent mandate, as well as inter-ministerial-sectoral coordination.
(Edited by V. Graham)
