Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has responded to Raila Odinga's claims that President William Ruto has inflated an already huge wage bill by creating unnecessary public offices.
Raila said the creation of such offices including that of the Spouse to the Prime Cabinet Secretary held by Mudavadi's wife Tessie was overburdening taxpayers.
"The creation of unnecessary and unconstitutional offices in the public service including those of their spouses, daughters and sons at the expense of an already overburdened public and an empty exchequer is a cruel ploy by Ruto to reward his cronies," Raila said.
"For this reason, Ruto must go," Raila said when he officially launched Azimio's mass action on Thursday at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation in Nairobi.
But Mudavadi said contrary to Raila's assumptions, not a cent has been spent on the running of the activities of his wife's office.
"From a personal level, if I speak specifically to Musalia Mudavadi, I want to state very clearly that there is no public expenditure that has occurred in the conversation around Tessie Musalia," he said.
The Prime CS was speaking during the People Dialogue Festival at the Kenya National Museum in Nairobi.
Mudavadi said he does not foresee the office incurring any public expenditure in the future since the activities his wife is engaged in are not State functions.
"They are social, philanthropic interventions that we make. And for the avoidance of doubt, Mrs Musalia Mudavadi has been at this process whether I was in government or whether I was not in government," he said.
Mudavadi said they will not stop supporting needy citizens in any part of the country through charity but affirmed that this will not be executed through the expenditure of public funds.
During the launch of the office on February 24, Mudavadi said the Office of the Spouse to the Prime Cabinet Secretary will complement the work done by the first and second ladies of the country.
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