?????? Ruto and Kindiki Get Huge Salary Increase:

NAIROBI, KENYA: President William Ruto, 58, and Deputy Kithure Kindiki, 52, are getting a fat pay rise starting July 1, 2025. Their combined yearly pay, with perks, will climb from 36 million shillings ($252,000) to 42 million shillings ($294,000)—a 16% jump. Ruto’s monthly take will rise from 1.4 million shillings ($9,800) to 1.6 million ($11,200), and Kindiki’s from 1.2 million ($8,400) to 1.4 million ($9,800).

The news hits as Kenya’s public wage bill balloons to 1.7 trillion shillings ($11.9 billion) in 2024, up from 1.1 trillion ($7.7 billion) in 2022. Supreme Court judges are also getting a boost, with their pay pot growing by 500 million shillings ($3.5 million), from 3.1 billion ($21.7 million) to 3.6 billion ($25.2 million). Teachers, doctors, and 232,000 state workers are still waiting for raises, caught in a cost-of-living crunch, making this move a hot topic.

Kenya’s economy is a mess—taxes spiked in 2024, sparking deadly protests with at least 60 deaths, and now toll booths are planned for major roads to grab more cash. The government blew millions pushing Raila Odinga’s failed AUC bid, companies are shutting down, and IMF loan payments loom large, with 68% of taxes already swallowed by debt. Kenyans are livid, asking why Ruto and Kindiki get more instead of cuts. Critics say if Ruto cared, he’d rally his loyal MPs—who jump at his every word—to slash salaries and spending, not pad their pockets while the country struggles.

Question:

Should Ruto and Kindiki Take a Pay Cut to Save Kenya, or Do They Deserve the Raise?