President William Ruto has assented to the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, unlocking funds for various activities in the government for the last quarter of this fiscal year.
- •The supplementary budget avails additional resources for ongoing reforms in the education sector, with KSh18 billion allocated to the Teachers Service Commission for insurance shortfalls, teacher promotion and personal emolument shortfalls.
- •A further KSh16 billion has been set aside for university education, KSh8 billion for TVETs and KSh600 million for the School Feeding Programme.
- •The budget also includes KSh 1.5 billion for recapitalisation of KEMSA, KSh 3 billion for Primary Healthcare Fund, KSh 3 billion for the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund and KSh 1.5 billion for healthcare interns.
Parliament Liason Committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Glady Shollei noted that the supplementary estimates 2 have been prepared on the backdrop of a stabilising economy supported by low inflation, lower interest rates, and stability of Kenya shilling.
However, the proposed increase in overall expenditures is not matched by an increase in revenue collection.
“On the contrary, the ordinary revenue collections target has been revised downwards by Ksh 50.1 billion. The main drivers of lower projections are VAT and income tax whose expected collection has been reduced by Ksh29.5 billion and Ksh15.1 billion respectively,” the committee said.
Other areas that have been funded include subsidised fertiliser (KSh 6.6 billion), County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (KSh 1.2 billion), Equalisation Fund (KSh 3.7 billion), settlement of the landless (KSh 370 million), Thwake Dam (KSh 1 billion) and KSh 700 million allocated to New KCC for mopping up milk, among others.
