Infrastructure projects will get the hugest chunk of next financial year’s budget in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s race against time to seal his legacy.
The National Treasury has proposed Sh353 billion to various ventures in the roads, transport, energy, ICT, housing and public works sectors.
Other big spenders will be education Sh202 billion, Sh183 billion for national security agencies, and Health Sh106 billion.
Agriculture and food security will account for Sh40.6 billion; Sh93 billion for the environment, water, and natural resources sector, and Sh37.8 billion for social protection.
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani drawn estimates also provide Sh65 billion for empowerment of which Sh10 billion will be for the NYS; Sh41.7 billion for CDF; Sh2.1 billion to NGAAF, and Sh6.8 billion for equalization fund.
The sports and tourism sector is tipped for Sh18 billion of which Sh15 billion will be for the Sports Fund, whereas some Sh7.5 billion has been set aside for the manufacturing sector.
Treasury plans to spend Sh3.6 trillion next financial year of which Parliament has been provided with Sh37.8 billion, Judiciary Sh18 billion, Sh1.8 trillion for Executive, and Sh1.3 trillion for Consolidated Fund Services, and Sh370 billion to county governments.
With 15 months left to the end of his term, budget estimates before Parliament show that President Kenyatta is keen on completing megaprojects his administration initiated.
In the Jubilee 2017 manifesto, President Kenyatta pledged at least 6.5 million jobs over five years; dams; 500,000 affordable houses; health for all; 10,000km roads; and food security.
However, the flagship projects took a hit following budget cuts to facilitate response to the Covid-19 pandemic among other factors that hitched their implementation.
The Defence ministry is set to get Sh119.8 billion of the security budget while Sh42 billion will go to the National Intelligence Service.
Leasing of police motor vehicles is set to take Sh10.7 billion; Sh4.8 billion for police and prison officers’ medical insurance; Sh2.3 billion for their personal insurance; and Sh1 billion for kitting the officers.
Huduma Namba is tipped for Sh1 billion in next fiscal year’s budget while Sh1.5 billion has been set aside for the CCTV project executed by Safaricom.
Roads account for the highest proportion of the infrastructure budget with the allocation of Sh182 billion for construction; rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and bridges.
For construction works, Sh92 billion will be used in line with the pledge for 10,000-km tarmac roads by 2022, and Sh90 billion for rehabilitation and maintenance.
President Kenyatta seeks to spend Sh53 billion on various transport projects with the Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway set for the highest at Sh27.2 billion.
In a bid to further revitalize the railway sector, Sh2 billion has been proposed for the meter-gauge railway connecting to the SGR; Sh1.1 billion for the Nairobi-Nanyuki MGR line, and Sh700 million for the Nakuru-Kisumu line.
The government has proposed Sh450 million for a railway station at Embakasi; Sh400 million for a railway station at Athi River and Sh450 million for the NSSF Mavoko station.
At least Sh7.5 billion has been proposed for the Mombasa Port, monies which are projected to be raised from donors, and Sh8.2 billion for the Dongo Kundu SEZ.
Image: CHETI PRAXIDES
Lapsset projects would be allocated Sh4.6 billion; Sh603 million for construction and expansion of airports as well as airstrips; Sh236 million for the Naivasha textile park; Sh149 million for maintenance of ferries and jetties; and Sh128 million for insurance of ferries plying the Likoni channel.
On Energy, Jubilee seeks to put significant resources to the national grid system at Sh50.1 billion; Sh11 billion for a geothermal generation; and Sh9 billion for rural electrification.
Alternative energy technologies have been budgeted for Sh2.6 billion in the Sh74 billion energy budget; Sh810 million for nuclear energy projects; and Sh424 million for coal exploration and mining.
Housing is also set for a major boost with the proposal for Sh8 billion initial capital for the Kenya Mortgage Refinancing Company.
Also factored in the Sh21.7 billion housing and public works budget is Sh3.5 billion to operationalise the KMRC; and Sh1.2 billion for construction of affordable housing units.
The government has also provided Sh1 billion for construction of markets; Sh1 billion for maintenance of government pool houses; Sh750 million for police and prisons officers housing units; Sh700 million for the Nairobi BRT; and Sh111 million for footbridges.
Slum improvement projects have been apportioned Sh3.5 billion; Sh341 million for construction of county headquarters; and Sh46 million for completion of stalled government buildings.
For ICT, the state intends to spend Sh23 billion, of which Sh12 billion will go to Konza infrastructure; Sh5.2 billion for Konza data centre; and Sh1.1 billion for Eldoret-Nadapal fibre-optic cable.
The government has also proposed Sh1 billion for the development of shared ICT services; Sh463 million for last-mile ICT connectivity; Sh1.2 billion for national fibre optic cable.
President Kenyatta’s administration has also provided Sh670 million for the schools’ laptop project, and Sh604 million to enhance ICT connectivity to health centres, and Sh100 million for the Africities summit.
For the education sector, Jubilee intends to spend Sh82 billion to fund universities; Sh62 billion for free day secondary school including NHIF for students; Sh12 billion for free primary education; Sh15.8 billion to Helb; and Sh5.2 billion for capitation of TVET students.
The government has also budgeted Sh4.2 billion for primary and secondary schools infrastructure; Sh4 billion for Knec exam fee waiver; 2.5 billion for recruitment of teachers; Sh5.8 billion for secondary education quality improvement, and Sh1.9 billion for school feeding.
Other allocations to the education sector include Sh1 billion for CBC training; Sh420 million for ICT integration in schools; Sh745 million for TVET; and Sh323 million for the national research fund.
In the health sector, the government seeks to provide Sh7.8 billion for the rollout of Universal Health Coverage and a further Sh8 billion for the unit that’d manage UHC.
Treasury has also set aside Sh8.8 billion for Covid-19 response; Sh15 billion for Kenyatta National Hospital; Sh11.4 billion to MTRH; Sh7.3 billion to KMTC; and Sh2.8 billion to Kemri.
Some Sh4 billion has been set aside for free maternity care, which is among the President’s key health priorities in the Big Four plan.
Treasury has projected that Sh17.3 billion will be provided by the Global Fund for HIV, malaria, and TB interventions with another Sh3.9 billion allocated for vaccines and immunisation.
For Water, Sh39 billion will be allocated to sewerage infrastructure; Sh10 billion for water storage and flood control; and Sh10.5 BY THE STAR