Office of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come under heavy criticism from ODM for inviting bidders for the supply of sea food in an advert in the dailies.
ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna, who is also the Senator for Nairobi, said it was offensive for Gachagua’s office to invite bidders for supply of fish and sea food when Kenyans can hardly afford unga.
"Rigathi Gachagua is Kenya’s Marie Antoinette. At a time most Kenyans can barely afford unga, he is putting out tenders for lobster and prawn,"Sifuna told the Star.
Antoinette was the last Queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an Archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I.
Antoinette gained global reputation for excessive spending on fashion, gambling and other indulgences.
The tender by Gachagua’s office also invited applications from interested and eligible bidders for the supply of poultry, beef, pork, lamb and goat.
The tender is for Financial Years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 ending on June 30, 2025.
Public offices are by law allowed to invite tenders for supply of goods and services under the Public Procurement and Disposal Act.
President William Ruto is seeking to cut the budget deficit by reducing non-essential spending on travelling, advertising and training, in what is likely to hit hard the hospitality sector, which is just smarting from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Budget on foreign travel, training, purchases of furniture and motor vehicles has already been cut.