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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has abolished overseas duty per diem rates and training subsistence allowances for its diplomatic staff as one of its key austerity measures.

In a circular, the ministry said that it will no longer facilitate the lucrative foreign trips for diplomats, heads of directorates, departments, divisions and units.

“It is the decision of the government that effective from September 1st, 2019, officers going on sponsored activities either locally or abroad will no longer be entitled to quarter per diem,” Foreign Affairs, Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau said in a letter dated September 6th, 2019.

The ministry’s per diem is based on four 6-hour quarters where the traveler is allowed one fourth of the allowance for each period of 6 hours or fraction thereof.

Where meals are provided, the amount of the per diem you are likely to claim if you were provided any meals during your travel is reduced, the MFA rules and regulations state.

“Kindly ensure that all staff working under you are properly informed and that this requirement is strictly complied with,” Kamau explained, in the circular addressed to all heads of missions, directorates, departments, divisions and units.

Contacted for interview on the same, the Foreign Affairs PS did not respond to our calls or reply to texts.

However, People Daily has established that circular is targeted at ambassadors, high commissioners and their family members a bid to curtail their frequent trips back home.

It is also directed to limit regular training and workshops organized by the United Nations (UN) and it’s allied organizations that its staff always attend later claim allowances.

A a detailed reading of the allowances structure by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) shows that the payouts are higher for visits to the more frequented places like Arusha in neighboring Tanzania and Addis, the African Union headquarters (ranging between Sh60,930 and Sh21,150) while rarely visited places like war-ravaged Afghanistan attract the lowest stipends of between Sh51,750 and Sh16,110 per day.