Government to hire aircraft for DP Rutos office

The office of Deputy President William Ruto has advertised for aircraft charter services despite the government’s assurances that it is embarking on austerity measures to plug the country’s huge debt.

In a notice set to be published in a local daily on Tuesday, the office of the DP asked aircraft owners to obtain tender documents from Harambee House Annex and pay a fee of Ksh.1,000.

“Interested service providers who are registered in relevant trades and categories (proof of registration required) may obtain Tender Documents from Harambee House Annex 1^st Floor, room 1B12/13, in person or against written application,” reads the notice.

“The non-refundable fee of Ksh.1,000 is to be paid in cash at the Cash Office before 4pm on normal working days or in banker’s cheque payable to the Principal Administrative Secretary, Office of the Deputy President.”

The notice further outlines the deadline for obtaining the tender documents as October 23, 2018 at 10am.

DP William Ruto has previously been on the spot with a section of the press claiming he owns a fleet of helicopters and choppers. He has, however, refuted these reports on numerous occasions, even once claiming that the chopper he uses belongs to Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria.

Considering the high cost of chartering a plane in the country, this move could raise doubt on whether the government is keen on cutting on its spending.

Last month, there was public outrage after President Uhuru Kenyatta approved the Finance Bill 2018 which introduced new tax measures to increase government revenue amid a high cost of living.