President Ruto Promises To Cut Budget For The State Capital's Office To Official Travel After Kenya's Protests

Kenyan President William Ruto. (Wikimedia Commons/US Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - President William Ruto on Friday pledged to cut spending by 177 billionUS (1.39 billion US dollars) in the fiscal year that began in July, after Kenya was hit by weeks of protests across the country forcing it to cancel a planned tax increase.

The government will also increase loans by about 169 billionwas to cover a hole of 346 billionwas caused by the decision to withdraw the financial bill which triggered the start of the protests.

President Ruto said in a televised address to the people that Kenya's budget deficit is now projected at 4.6 percent of gross domestic product in the 2024/25 fiscal year, up from the previous estimate of 3.3 percent.

Among the various ways his government will take to cut expenses, President Ruto said 47 state companies will be disbanded, the number of advisers in government will soon be reduced to 50 percent and all non-essential official trips for public officials will be suspended.

"The budget that provides the operations of the First Lady's Office, the Vice President's pair, and the Secretary of the Main Cabinet, will be removed," Ruto said, adding that 60-year-old civil servants would be asked to retire immediately.

President Ruto added that there will be a forensic audit of the state's debt and he will also soon announce changes to the government.

It is known that demonstrations, which started peacefully before turning violent, have become the biggest threat to the two-year term of President Ruto.

Campaign groups have documented hundreds of arrests and at least 39 deaths linked to the government's harsh response, raising fears of a setback in human rights.