When you think of two East African presidents who saved their countries from economic doldrums, two names come to mind: Mwai Kibaki and John Magufuli of Tanzania.
When both took office, they immediately cut the flagrant spending that was common in the preceding administrations.
Magufuli became president in 2015, and by the end of 2020, he had only travelled to Uganda (twice), Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
The Bank of Tanzania said his ban on foreign travel of public servants saved the country $429.5 million in the first year.
This, coupled with other austerity measures and a clampdown on corruption, saw the country's economy leapfrog and could overtake Kenya's before 2030.
President Ruto's government also announced a raft of austerity measures immediately after he was sworn into office.
But this same government has rubbished these measures and the Controller of Budget reports that since Kenya Kwanza assumed office, the presidency has spent Sh357 million on foreign travel.
State events are often held in lavish hotels while Cabinet secretaries and other top officials are routinely outside the country on official visits. The unnecessary position of the Cabinet Administration Secretary is also crawling back.
Unfortunately, all this comes at a time when the government is heaping more taxes on Kenyans. Kenya Kwanza must at least show a commitment to frugality and prioritising taxpayer money for essential services.
Cutting down on foreign trips demonstrates fiscal responsibility and discipline. The government must set an example by practising prudent financial management.
Quote of the Day: “In our country the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State.”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The Russian writer and Nobel Prize for Literature 1970 winner was born on December 11, 1918
