Justus Ondari
8 July 2009
Nairobi — How times have changed. Who would have thought a day would come when the government of Kenya would think that the Mercedes Benz, the ultimate status symbol, was bad for its image?
A day after State House rejected eight luxury fuel guzzlers, Treasury on Wednesday dropped the broad hint that the Benz, the mark of ministers and senior government officials, will soon be a thing of the past.
The government now wants vehicles that sip, not guzzle, petrol. And it is not enough for a vehicle to be no more than 1,800cc, it must be cheap and be seen to be cheap.
"It is a question of attitude and perception. To the majority of Kenyans, it does not matter what model a Mercedes is. To them, a Mercedes is a Mercedes and it is expensive ... as a government, that is not the kind of image we want to pass on to Kenyans," said Finance Permanent Secretary Joseph Kinyua.
Therefore, while some Mercedes models meet the 1,800cc limit announced in this year's budget, the models would still send the wrong message to most Kenyans.
The government is expected to buy new vehicles for government officials once they comply with the austerity measure announced by Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta in his btrtrudget speech presented to Parliament on June 11.
Mr Kenyatta directed that all Cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries, provincial commissioners and other senior public officials who are entitled to official cars be given vehicles whose engine capacity is no more than 1,800cc.
Mr Kenyatta, his assistant minister Dr Oburu Oginga and Mr Kinyua started using the Volkswagen Passat, complying with the directive on the same day.
With the exception of the Mercedes Benz, many of the cars surrendered under the austerity measures will be given to the police.
"Definitely we will not give the police Mercedes cars. But the police have been asking for vehicles and there is no need of buying new ones when we have others," said the PS.
He was speaking to the Daily Nation on Wednesday at Treasury after Mr Kenyatta and Swedish Ambassador Anna Brandt, signed a Sh3.5 billion-a-year development cooperation agreement.
The agreement will run for five years.
Reject vehicles
Mr Kinyua said the government expected to generate about Sh500 million from the sale of cars returned by its officials.
The money will be used in an economic stimulus package and social projects such as resettling internally displaced people.
Earlier, Mr Kenyatta praised the move by the President and First Lady Lucy Kibaki to reject the eight vehicles on Tuesday, saying the government will save about Sh150 million.
"Kenyans expect us to be a government that is not engaged in any extravagant expenditure," said Mr Kenyatta.
Replying to questions from journalists, the minister said stock-taking of all government vehicles was being done as the new austerity measures are implemented.
The cars will be surrendered to the Chief Mechanical and Transport Engineer, who will organise their sale by end of September.
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