- Muthama said that the three sectors are very critical and cannot be gambled with.
- The former senator's remarks come after President William Ruto called for austerity measures after he rejected the Finance Bill, following an uproar from Kenyans.
Image: JOHNSON MUTHAMA
Former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama now says that the effected budget cuts following the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024 should not affect the Judiciary, health and education dockets.
In a statement, Muthama said that the three sectors are very critical and cannot be gambled with.
He said that while development projects like the construction of roads and dams can wait, the three cannot be tampered with.
"With the government finding itself in a precarious situation due to the economic meltdown, the much-needed budget cuts shouldn't affect our judiciary, health, and education sectors," Muthama said on X.
"We can delay the construction of roads and dams, but we cannot gamble with the education of our children, the health of the nation, and our justice system."
The former senator's remarks come after President William Ruto called for austerity measures after he rejected the Finance Bill, following an uproar from Kenyans.
Ruto said that the decision would have far-reaching effects on many sectors of the country, adding that Kenya would now have to borrow up to Sh1 trillion to meet its plans.
With the direction of the President, the National Treasury wrote to various ministries to cut down their appropriated budgets by up to 15 per cent and only spend on essential areas.
On Wednesday, the Judicial Service Commission announced that it had suspended the recruitment of 11 Court of Appeal judges, which was set to begin on July 3.
Chief Justice Martha Koome said the decision is part of the measures put in place to implement the directive by the National Treasury to cut down on expenditure by at least 15 per cent in the appropriated budget.
She said because of this, the expenditure is now limited only to essential needs.
"In this regard, we are compelled to make major adjustments to planned programs and activities. Regrettably, this has necessitated the decision by the JSC to suspend all pending recruitments including the 11 Judges of the Court of Appeal which was scheduled to commence today," Koome who is chairperson of the JSC said.