The Kenya Kwanza government has frozen all non-essential travel as a way of cutting down on spending and refocusing the funds on critical operations and activities.
In a letter to government officials by the Chief of Staff and head of public service Felix Koskei says effective immediately, delegations involving Cabinet and Principal Secretaries and governors have been restricted to a three-person limit.
“Delegations headed by Cabinet Secretaries shall not exceed three persons including the Cabinet Secretary as Head of Delegation (1+2),” he said. He also added that at least one of the persons accompanying the CS should be a technical officer specialized in the subject of the foreign engagement and shall be with no security or personal assistants.
CSs and PSs in the same ministries are not to be away on foreign travel at the same time unless the foreign engagement expressly demands the same. The County Executive Committee who shall travel on behalf of the governor shall travel alone.
“Delegations accompanying the President, the First Lady, the Deputy President, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary shall strictly be approved for officials playing a direct role in the scheduled activities/program of the principals,” Koskei said in the letter.
Consequently, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has been directed to rationalize the number of
personnel accompanying each of the principals and reduce the same by 50 percent as well as limit the period of travel to seven days inclusive of travel dates.
“As an additional measure, Foreign Missions are to fully attend to, and represent the Government of Kenya, in all matters of interest and in which the Republic of Kenya is invited to participate, prior to engagement of line ministries,” Koskei said.
