Public Joy: High Court Verdict on 50 CAS Posts Welcomed by Kenyans
It is a great relief for taxpayers, who would have been required to pay at least Ksh 53 million per month in salaries to support the 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries of President William Ruto.
In a decision that has elicited a collective sigh of relief from Kenyans, a three-judge bench sitting at the Milimani high court has overturned the appointment of 50 Cabinet Administrative Secretaries appointed by President William Ruto to serve as the 22 cabinet secretaries’ deputies.
The court’s decision was based on the fact that public participation in the creation of the post of CAS was only conducted for 23 CASs, and therefore the creation of the remaining 27 CAS posts did not comply with the constitutional requirement of public participation. The judges indicate the occupation group.
Even though the court declined to take a position on whether or not the creation of the posts of Chief Administrative Secretaries is a waste of public funds, the Chief Administrative Secretary reports directly to the Cabinet Secretary and is superior to the Principal Secretary.
The Public Service Commission has classified CAS as Group V employees, entitling them to a monthly salary of Ksh.765,188, a house allowance of Ksh.200,000, and an entertainment allowance of Ksh.100,000.
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To make the CASs comfortable, the taxpayer would have to fork over Ksh.639 million annually in salaries and a total of Ksh.3.2 billion during the first term of Ruto’s presidency.
The 50 CASs are also eligible for a Ksh.10 million car grant, which will cost an already struggling taxpayer Ksh.500 million, and a Ksh.35 million mortgage, for a total of Ksh.1.75 billion.
In addition, they have access to two luxury vehicles, two secretaries, a driver, and a personal assistant.
In addition, they have a security detail whose responsibility it is to protect them while on and off duty.
They will also receive a whopping Ksh.10 million inpatient and Ksh.300,000 outpatient medical coverage as part of their fringe benefits.
In her ruling on the financial implications of the creation of the CAS offices and whether or not it constitutes a waste of public resources, Justice Hedwig Ong’udi stated that the court cannot delve further into the issue because the budgetary concern is a matter of government policy that falls under the purview of a different government agency.
We think that, by the doctrine of separation of powers, budgetary concerns belong to the realm of policy and, as appropriate, to the other relevant branches of government. We, therefore, decline the invitation to delve deeper…,” the judge ruled.
Public Joy: High Court Verdict on 50 CAS Posts Welcomed by Kenyans
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