Members of the Cabinet have agreed to forego a month’s salary in support of the drought mitigation campaign that seeks to help Kenyans affected in the ongoing drought.
The resolution was reached during the third Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto on Tuesday.
“In solidarity with all Kenyans affected by the ongoing drought, the meeting resolved that all Members will forgo one-month salary as their individual and collective contribution towards the ongoing State interventions that support all the Kenyans affected by the drought, “a dispatch from State House read.
A cabinet secretary (CS) gets a monthly salary of Sh924,000, which means that the 22 cabinet secretaries will donate Sh20,328,000 in total.
The Attorney General earns the equivalent of CSs at Sh924,000 which in total, the entire cabinet will contribute Sh23,143,313.
As part of the long-term measures to address the cyclic drought situation and the cost of living, the Cabinet in addition assessed the food supply situation in the country.
The meeting noted that the cost of the nation’s staple food, maize, remains unacceptably high, currently retailing between Sh180- 210 for a 2 Kg packet of maize flour.
The Cabinet further noted that harvesting of maize was ongoing across the country, with this year’s crop estimated to yield about 30 million bags of maize.
The Cabinet resolved that the farmers’ produce will be accorded priority access to the market.
“In recognition of the annual consumption trends of about 45 million bags of maize, and mindful of the solemn duty of the State to secure the affordability of the basic food items; the deficit arising from the lower than expected domestic yields will be bridged through the importation of 10 Million bags of maize,” the dispatch added.
Additionally, the importation by the private sector will commence in February 2023 and it shall be incentivized by way of a customs duty waiver.
The dispatch in addition noted that as part of the administration’s long-term food security plan, farmers from across the country would have access to subsidised fertiliser at Sh3,500.
This will boost food production and help bring down the overall cost of production, and the rising cost of living.
