Expenditure of Ksh1 billion donated by the World Bank to Kenya for the fight against Covid-19 sparked an uproar among Kenyans on Wednesday, April 29, with many questioning if some of the expenses were necessary.
While the massive amounts spent on airtime and snacks, Ksh 6 million and Ksh10 million respectively, quickly raised eyebrows, analysts were quick to point out other figures they found questionable.
Among them were economists David Ndii and Wehliye Mohammed as well as Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi, who tore into the government over various items included in the budget.
Ndii described the expenditure as ‘a scam’, questioning, for instance, the duration of ambulance leases and the figures supposedly spent on printing.
“Ambulance lease at Ksh2.8m each? For how long? Ksh13.5m for 30 HCWs (Health Care Workers) “needing quarantine for 90 days.” 90 each or in total (3 each?). Neither makes sense.
“Ksh15.5m for stationery (6.5m + 9m for quarantine documents), @ Sh5/sheet, its 6000+ reams! Scam. No wonder they are infecting people,” he wrote.
Havi, on the other hand, observed that the average price of an ambulance was Ksh4 million questioning why the government would opt to lease 15 ambulance at a cost of Ksh42 million which could supposedly purchase ten ambulances.
“Kshs 42 million is the average purchase price for 10 ambulances. Is there anybody who advises this government?” he posed.
“Maybe each leased ambulance comes with a Covid-19 ventilator, N95 masks, an ICU bed & Dr. Fauci (Anthony – American physician, immunologist and infectious disease expert),” another economist, Wehliye Mohammed, cheekily wrote.
The expenditures had been revealed in a Ministry of Health (MoH) brief to the National Assembly in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 28.
Other than the allocation of Ksh42 million towards the leasing of ambulances, Ksh13.5 million was set aside for the accommodation of health care workers needing quarantine services for 90 days.
Ksh14 million was allocated for the maintenance and fueling of 30 vehicles.
Ksh70 million was allocated towards communications with Ksh132 million to facilitate the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
The funds are part of a Ksh6 billion facility from the World Bank for Kenya announced after the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in the country in March.
“The World Bank has committed $60M to help GoK respond to Covid-19: $50M from Covid-19 Financing Facility & $10M from Contingency Emergency Response component of Transforming Health Systems for Universal Care Project,” the World Bank noted at the time.
A second disbursement of Ksh2.3 billion is expected in coming months.
