Questions arise over President Ruto’s advisors earning Sh1 million in salaries
State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito justified the expenditure on advisors, emphasizing their role in assisting the President with key policy decisions.
It has come to light that several of President William Ruto’s advisors receive salaries comparable to those of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries, with monthly earnings of at least Sh1 million.
During a session with the National Assembly’s Administration and Internal Security committee, State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito justified the expenditure on advisors, emphasizing their role in assisting the President with key policy decisions, including efforts to reduce the cost of living.
Mt. Elgon MP Fred Kapondi highlighted concerns over the increasing number of advisors, urging the committee to scrutinize the salary structure for each of them.
Ole Metito explained, "Some advisors receive pay equivalent to Cabinet Secretaries, while others earn at the level of Principal Secretaries."
A Cabinet Secretary’s basic salary is Sh594,000, with additional allowances for housing, medical, and transport bringing the total monthly pay to over Sh1 million.
Similarly, a Principal Secretary earns a basic salary of SH491,906, and with allowances included, their total monthly compensation approaches Sh1 million.
Employees in job groups T, U, and V earn salaries starting from Sh170,000. Ole Metito clarified that the variations in advisor salaries depend on their assigned job groups and expertise.
"Advisors fall into different job groups, and their pay is determined based on their job group classification and professional qualifications," Ole Metito explained.
Concerns have been raised about the necessity of having numerous advisors, some perceived as former Cabinet rejects, with overlapping responsibilities.
Metito defended their value, noting, "We had an exchange rate of 162, now down to 129, and the prices of local foodstuffs are falling—these policy changes result from the work of these advisors and their research."
Parliamentary records reveal that the annual cost of employing these advisors exceeds Ksh.1 billion, a figure that continues to grow as more advisors are added.
While courts blocked the Chief Administrative Secretary role, critics argue the President has effectively replaced them with advisors.
Meanwhile, budgets for senior government officials—including retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and former Vice Presidents Kalonzo Musyoka and Moody Awori—have faced substantial cuts.
Uhuru Kenyatta’s office, which was particularly affected, will see a reduction of Sh94.6 million from its original Sh300 million allocation in the upcoming financial year.
In contrast, State House has been allocated Sh8 billion for the next fiscal year.
