Kenyan Treasury Sets Two-vehicle Limit for Governors, CSs

The National Treasury of Kenya has unveiled comprehensive measures to address the longstanding issue of government vehicle mismanagement.

Under the new policy spearheaded by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, high-ranking officials will face restrictions on vehicle allocation. Governors and Cabinet Secretaries will now be limited to two vehicles, while deputy governors and principal secretaries will be assigned just one vehicle each. In a notable departure from previous practices, senior cadre officials across both national and county governments will be required to utilize a shared pool of vehicles rather than having dedicated assignments.

This pooling system aims to optimize vehicle utilization and reduce the overall fleet size. The policy extends to county executives, chief officers, parastatal chiefs, and leaders of constitutional commissions and independent offices. The initiative comes in response to concerning findings from the Auditor General’s reports which revealed substantial government spending on civil servant transportation, amounting to approximately Sh15 billion in the fiscal year ending June 2023.

Audit findings highlighted various irregularities, including missing vehicles, absent documentation, and unauthorized vehicle transfers between agencies. A particularly innovative aspect of the new policy requires commissioners of independent offices and parastatal board members to use their private vehicles and claim reimbursement for official travel. This approach aims to enhance accountability and reduce misuse of government resources.

The policy implementation will be supported by strict monitoring mechanisms, including mandatory work tickets and vehicle logs. To complement these reforms, the National Treasury has announced plans to conduct an auction of vehicles deemed unserviceable or obsolete. This strategic move serves the dual purpose of recovering costs and creating opportunities to invest in more efficient vehicles. The auction will specifically target vehicles beyond repair or those lacking proper documentation.

The policy framework also incorporates environmental considerations, promoting the adoption of greener vehicle technologies. The comprehensive approach to vehicle management is expected to yield significant cost savings while promoting transparency in public sector operations.