Save Justice, Education, Health Sectors in Budget Cuts: Muthama » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 4 — Johnstone Muthama, a member of the UDA-sponsored Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), has called on the Treasury to protect the justice, education and health sectors from impending budget cuts following the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024.

Muthama, who served as senator for Machakos before the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party appointed him as PSC commissioner, said the planned austerity measures should not hamper the functioning of critical sectors.

“Given that the government finds itself in a precarious position due to the economic crisis, the much-needed budget cuts should not affect our justice, health and education sectors,” he said on Thursday.

“We can delay the construction of roads and dams, but we cannot risk the education of our children, the health of the nation and our justice system,” Muthama argued.

Muthama’s comments came a day after the Judicial Service Commission suspended the recruitment of eleven additional Court of Appeal judges and other judicial staff, citing recommendations from the National Treasury.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, chairwoman of the JSC, said the National Treasury had recommended that the judiciary reduce its spending by at least 15 percent.

Koome said the judiciary would limit spending to essential needs.

The planned Treasury budget cuts come after revelations that Kenya’s budget deficit could rise to 1 trillion shillings.

President William Ruto, who refused to sign the controversial finance bill into law following violent protests that saw some demonstrators storm parliament after it was passed, said the presidency would also scrap the confidential budget and vehicle purchases.

The National Assembly is yet to act on President Ruto’s memorandum referring the bill to the House of Representatives.

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