The Treasury CS will read out the 2020/2021 budget to the public today, a process that most Kenyans will keenly follow. Most Kenyans are hoping the budget will redeem them from the tough economic times brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
To come up with the best budget, Ambassador Ukur Yatani must dip deep into his 27 years of experience in public administration, diplomacy, and governance to stricture what might be seen as Kenya’s most complicated budget.
The budget is expected to speak directly to Kenya’s well-being in an economy that has been sabotaged by locust invasions, foods, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has affected almost all sectors of the economy.
To heal the ailing economy, CS Yatani has proposed an Sh3.2 trillion budget that also includes the Sh441 redemption for maturing bonds of which the National Assembly approved Sh1.88 trillion from Consolidated Funds to meet the expenditure until the end of this financial year.
Fighting Covid-19
To deal with the pandemic which has so affected the world, the ministry of health will get Sh117.6 billion to help fight the virus.
The Covid-19 funds have however been ring-faced in what is commonly known as the Emergency Response Fund under President Uhuru’s Sh53.7 billion eight-point stimulus package that will focus on education, small and medium enterprises, infrastructure, health, agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing sector to help jump-start the economy.
The budget will today be presented to Kenyans who are currently maintaining social distance guidelines to help curb the spread of coronavirus, a situation and puts a peculiar perspective to the estimates which will make sure that the ongoing health crisis does not become an economic hazard.
Education Sector
To ensure a continuous learning process during the partial lockdown within the country, the Teachers Service Commission will get the largest share of the budget. The education will get a lion share of the budget allocation of 266.1 billion an equivalence to 0.15 of the national budget.
- DP Ruto suffers as office allocation cut by Sh1 billion in 2020/2021 budget
- Raila wins big in new budget as he is handed Sh36M for furniture & cars
- Experts; For Every Sh100, Public Debt Will Take Sh55 In The 2020/2021 Financial Year
- Kenyatta Owned Media House Ordered To Pay Employees
InfrastructureÂ
The State Department of Infrastructure will get Sh189.6 billion which is however Sh50.6 billion less than last year’s allocation.
Ministry of InteriorÂ
The Matiang’ i led State Department of Interior will receive Sh131.7billion, while the Department of Social Protection, Pension, and senior citizens’ affairs will get Sh33.6 billion to ensure vulnerable Kenyans to have access to food and utilities during this tough times.
The budget is generally expected to cure disruption in the transport sector, hospitality industry and to keep afloat the SMEs and prepare for the post coronavirus period. The budget will also give confidence to the international trade which has so far gone down leading to loss of jobs, layoff, and destitution.
The stimulus package is expected to employ 200,000 youths to clean towns, 10,000 teachers, and 5000 health workers. The government has also promised to hire thousands of casual laborers to rehabilitate roads, 5,500 community scout under the Kenya Wildlife Service, and 1,000 ICT Interns to support digital learning.
