President Uhuru Kenyatta has this signed into law the Supplementary Appropriation Bill to release funds for Government expenditure for the financial year that is ending June 30.
The law mandates the National Treasury to release Shs 161 billion [1.6 billion USD] from the Consolidated Fund to various Government departments. The funds are categorised into recurrent expenditure which totals to Shs 107.5 billion [1.1 billion USD] and development expenditure that totals to Sh53.7 billion [528 million USD] respectively.
The Appropriation Act authorises among other things the release of Shs 8 billion [79 million USD] for settlement of pending Government bills. The allocations for pending bills is aimed at effecting the payments to traders who have provided services to the Government in line with the recent directive by President Kenyatta.
The law the President signed also reflects the continuation of the austerity measures that were entrenched at the beginning of the financial year that is closing.
The austerity measures are reflected in the reduction of Government expenditure by Shs 58 billion [570 million USD], which was slashed from various departments.
The State Department of Infrastructure was allocated Shs16.6 [163 million USD] billion while the Ministry of Water and Sanitation will receive Shs 11.8 billion [116 million USD] for development.
The State Department for Crop Development will receive Shs 8.9 billion [87 million USD] while the State Department for Sport Development was allocated Sh9.1 billion [89 million USD].
The State Department of University Education will receive Shs 5.3 billion [52 million USD] while the State Department of Vocational and Technical Training will receive Shs 2.6 billion [26 million USD].
The Teachers Service Commission was allocated Shs 14.1 billion [139 million USD] while the State Department of Housing was allocated Shs 7.8 billion [77 million USD] and Shs 4.1 billion [40 million USD] will go to the State Department of Health.
The Bill was presented to the President for signing by the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi who was accompanied by the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale and Clerk Michael Sialai.
For more information:
www.president.go.ke