Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot has dismissed sections of media reports claiming that the Ruto-Raila talks being held at the Bomas of Kenya may cost more than KSh 100 million taxpayers’ money.
The Daily Nation had on Wednesday, September 27, reported that the 10-member negotiations team formed by President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga is seeking KSh 106 million to facilitate the Bomas talks.
The daily further reported that a budget document prepared by the secretariat and adopted by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) shows that a big chunk of the millions has been earmarked for allowances to the members of the talk’s team and to facilitate retreats in Naivasha and Mombasa.
For instance, NADCO co-chair Kimani Ichungwah and his counterpart Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka were earmarked for a KSh 50,000 allowance for every sitting while other members were to receive KSh 40,000 each.
The budget document was adopted on September 11, when NADCO resumed its sittings after breaking to participate in the Africa Climate Summit held in Nairobi.
It was further reported that the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) was to finance the bi-partisan talks.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, September 27, Cheruiyot, who is a member of NADCO representing Kenya Kwanza side termed the report ‘distasteful’.
Cheruiyot in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) said that “they had never been paid any allowances”.
“This is the stupidity of the highest order. Please establish the facts of any matter before running a campaign on it. We have never been paid any allowance.
“There has never been a charge to taxpayers on behalf of NADCO. This is your usual hired headlines. Distasteful,” he said.
