President William Ruto's foreign travel delegation has been slashed by half in a new directive issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
Koskei said the directive also applies to delegations accompanying the First Lady, the Deputy President and the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
He said those whose travel will be approved are those strictly playing a direct role in the scheduled activities or programmes of the principals.
"In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs is directed to rationalise the number of personnel accompanying each of the principals, and reduce the same by fifty per cent," Koskei said.
Koskei, who is also the Chief of Staff, said the ministry is under a directive to limit the issuance of invitations to government entities and secure the participation of focal point institutions only where necessary.
He said travel visas and other courtesies shall only be extended for travel associated with state-party engagements in which the government is participating as part of fulfilling state obligations and pursuant to the conduct of critical state-party engagements.
Koskei added that visas and other courtesies will also only be issued for the purpose of fulfilling a statutory leadership or membership role in which critical decisions impacting the country’s position are under consideration.
To facilitate the implementation of the directive, Koskei said the circulars issued on January 26, 2015, and June 29, 2023, have been revised.
The sum total of the revision, he said, is that cumulative days members of delegations will be allowed to be away is seven days inclusive of travel dates.
"All other directives relating to travel days per quarter, and annually remain the same," he said.
In the June 2023 circular, Koskei said the cumulative days a CS, PS or CEO of a state corporation should be away from the country should not exceed seven days per travel, 15 days per quarter (three months) and 45 days per year.
He said the officers cleared to travel shall only attend policy-related meetings, events or activities for no more than seven working days, excluding travel dates.
"Cabinet and Principal Secretaries, chairpersons and chief executive officers of state corporations shall synchronise their foreign travel such that both officers are not away from the office at the same time," Koskei said in the circular dated June 29, 2023.
Under the new directive, Koskei has also directed the National Treasury to slash by half all foreign and local travel budgets for Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, chairpersons and CEOs of State Corporations, chairpersons and CEOs of Commissions and Independent Offices, Governors and County Executive committee members.
"The government will continue to further review and direct any additional parameters of its foreign diplomacy in line with this objective," Koskei said.
