Ruku: Govt has slashed over KSh150B from essential services to curb budget deficit
By Kenneth Mwenda, September 2, 2025Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has revealed that the government has slashed more than Ksh150 billion from vital public services in the 2025/26 budget.
Speaking during a live interview on a local television station on Monday night, September 1, 2025, Ruku stated that it was in a bid to bring Kenya’s fiscal deficit below five per cent of GDP.
“This year the government has to cut not less than 150 billion Kenya shillings from very vital services which are required by the people of Kenya to align the budget, to maintain the physical deficit below 5 per cent of the GDP,” he said.
Ruku stated that it was one of the toughest calls the administration has had to make in recent years. He explained that the cuts were necessary to align the national budget with available revenues, even though every sector faces pressing demands.
“Cutting Ksh150 billion is one of the most difficult jobs you can be given in the executive, because every requirement in the budget is needed,” Ruku added.
Revenue shortfall fuels pay gap
The cabinet secretary noted that the revenue challenge is at the centre of wider problems in government, including pay disparities among public servants. He observed that people with similar qualifications and responsibilities are often paid very different salaries depending on the institutions they serve.
“To address these disparities in a fair manner, the government would need an extra Ksh84 billion every financial year,” he explained.
Ruku warned that failing to harmonise pay risks fueling industrial action by different cadres of workers, but stressed that the real solution lies in growing national revenues. He echoed President William Ruto’s call for an expanded tax base, saying the country cannot continue to rely on cuts alone.
“So what we need to address as Kenyans is how do we raise our revenues as a government, as a nation so that we can take care of all other services which the people of Kenya require and at the same time ensure those who are not well remunerated are getting their fair pay,” he said.
According to the CS, one of the main obstacles is tax leakage, where billions of shillings are lost through weak administration. He commended the Treasury for stepping up efforts to plug loopholes, arguing that stronger systems would help secure enough resources for both salaries and service delivery.