No more Business Class for junior Gov’t officials as Mbadi proposes air travel restrictions

In a bid to tighten the national budget amid ongoing austerity measures, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has announced a proposal to restrict air travel for junior government officials.

The proposal, outlined in the Government Transport Policy Proposal 2024, aims to curb excessive spending by eliminating business class travel for those in lower administrative positions.

"Air transport shall be used both locally and internationally. This policy aims to ensure the use of air transport is compliant to the existing austerity measures. The policy recommends the use of business class is restricted to only senior government officers of JGR and above," the policy document seen by Citizen Digital reads in part.

"All other government officers on official travel within and outside Kenya shall use the Economy class for travel."

Additionally, Mbadi wants to limit the use of hired air transport to exceptional circumstances within the country, specifically in cases where other means of transport are not appropriate, such as in security operations or during natural disasters.

"Hired air transport shall only be used within the country under exceptional circumstances where other means of transport may not be appropriate, in security services or in disasters," the proposal reads.

In the event that government officials wish to charter planes, Mbadi states that preference will be given to the national carrier, Kenya Airways.

"Preference for air transport shall be given to the national carrier-Kenya Airways," the policy document notes.

The development comes nearly five months after President William Ruto came under fire for chartering a posh Boeing 737-700 private jet operated by the Royal Jet of Dubai for his State visit to the United States.

The trip (Nairobi-Atlanta-Washington D.C) on the luxury jet had been reported to have cost taxpayers around Ksh.200 million, but the President later came out to say the aircraft had been lent to him by his "friends" at a measly Ksh.10 million.

After causing a huge national furore over his choice to use millions to charter the private jet for his USA tour, President Ruto  appears to have warmed up to the idea of using the national carrier for his frequent foreign trips.

Lately, the President, who had been grounded by political upheavals and mass demonstrations, has gone back to hitting the skies - and has been noticeably doing so via Kenya Airways.