By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Former State House spokesperson Kanze Dena has hit out at the government over the financing of the office of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Dena, in a media briefing on Monday, June 10, 2024, revealed that the government has not yet provided for the office space of the retired President as required by law.
She also noted that the vehicles currently assigned to Uhuru were the ones he used during President William Ruto’s inauguration.
In addition, Kanze Dena said, the former President is forced to use his own money to fuel the vehicles after their cards were blocked by the State House.
There has been a between the government and Uhuru over the office space. The government insists the former President must use the office space formerly used by the late Mwai Kibaki.
However, Uhuru is said to prefer using an office located near the State House, which the government is against.
“The office in Nyari was selected by Kibaki because it was suitable for him,” Dena told journalists.
The law provides that a former President is facilitated with an office space, fully funded by the government alongside its staff.
Aside from row over office space, the former President is also at loggerheads with the government over not only fueling of his official cars but also the type of cars he is assigned to.
Legally, the government is expected to buy two cars to the former head of state. The cars, according to the law are of his preference, replaced after every three years.
“It was agreed that the former president uses the vehicle on his motorcade for a transitional basis as a process of procuring new vehicles begins – that is two vehicles of the retired president’s choice with an engine capacity not exceeding 3,000cc and two four-wheel motor vehicles,” Dena said.
“There were fuel cards issued but the cars were blocked on March 23, 2023, to date,” she added.
A fortnight ago, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura dismissed claims the government had denied Uhuru his retirement benefits.
Mwaura detained some of the benefits already extended to Uhuru among them payment of the KSh48 million as gratuity, his monthly allowances and a medical cover – all of which Dena confirmed to be true.