President Ruto’s Swearing in Ceremony Cost Sh330 Million – Committee

The inauguration of President William Ruto cost the Kenyan taxpayer a whopping Sh330.7 million.

In a report tabled in Parliament, the Assumption of Office Committee spent an extra Sh130 million on the ceremony. The Treasury had earlier budgeted for Sh200 million.

The committee said the head of state had set a Sh250 million budget for all state functions set for the day.

“However, on account of an unprecedented number of Heads of State and government and other high-level State foreign delegations that were attending the State ceremonies, the committee’s budget was reviewed upwards with the concurrence of President-elect to Sh330,714,647,” said the committee.

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The Office of the President spent Sh172.44 million, Foreign Affairs (Sh55.2 million), State Department for Sports (Sh9.4 million), Interior (Sh35.2 million) and State Department for Culture and Heritage (Sh26.9 million).

Others are the State Department for Broadcasting (Sh27.5 million), State Department for ICT (Sh2 million) and the Judiciary (Sh2 million).

“The budget for the executive office of the President was appropriated towards the fabrication and set up of the presidential dais and pavilion, the inauguration arena VVIPs dais, VIP dais that held over 3,000 persons and all the other ancillary décor and fixtures including additional screens as well as defraying the cost of hosting the state luncheon at State House,” reads the report.

The committee said the State luncheon held at State House in Nairobi was attended by at least 7,000 guests including some of the 19 Heads of State present at Dr Ruto’s swearing-in ceremony.