‘We are creating a larger tax base’ – Beatrice Elachi defends CAS positions

Dagoretti North Member of Parliament (MP) Beatrice Elachi has maintained her stance on Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) positions.

Speaking during an interview with K24 TV on Thursday morning, Elachi, a former CAS for Public Service and Gender, said that the posts which were dismissed by the High Court in July this year are vital in tracking the progress of different departments.

She defended Ruto's decision saying that Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) need assistants who can keep up with the duties whenever a CS is away.

"I have said in fairness of the country, and delivery of service and ensuring those ministries can function in the right way you need a deputy to have a clear role. Look at our Environment CS, she will need a deputy because in most meetings she is out of the country. She has to go because she is supposed to give our stand as Kenya and what we want to see on issues of climate change and so you need a deputy who will follow through on other issues within the ministry," she stated.

The lawmaker explained that the positions should be approved because up to three principal secretaries currently assist some CSs.

"When you look at different ministries they have three PSs, if you have a deputy, he/she will take over a few of these issues that will come," she added.

While defending the positions, the legislator claimed that the positions would boost the country's tax base since the CASs would pay taxes whenever they get salaries.

"Even if they get salaries they will pay taxes we are creating a larger tax base. It is a non-issue of money. This tongue of saying we don't have money is not the right one. We cannot keep lamenting since it is not the first time."

Hon. Beatrice Elachi: If the CAS get salaries they will pay taxes, in fact we are creating more base of tax to go back to the government because they will employ others.#NewDawn pic.twitter.com/Pn6l5sf6xo— K24 TV (@K24Tv) December 7, 2023

Elachi's remarks were backed by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina who claimed that there was nothing wrong with the positions since the current work load in ministries is too much for one person to handle.

"There is so much work load in the ministries, and we really do need the CAS position. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the CAS position," she said.