• The health allocation is part of the Sh40.77 billion budget for the next financial year 2023-24.
• It comprises of Sh28.78 billion for recurrent and Sh11.99 billion for development expenditures.
Image: FILE
The health, wellness and nutrition sector is the biggest winner in Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s proposed budget.
The department has been allocated Sh9.95 billion as highlighted in the County Fiscal Strategy Paper 2023.
The CFSP is the county government's strategy document for the budget, and provides the link between the government's overall policies and implemented through the annual budget.
The Sh9.95 billion will cater to the much-awaited establishment of the school feeding programme for learners in public primary schools and ECD centres, establish a cancer treatment centre at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and promote emergency and referral services.
In his manifesto, Sakaja said he would establish a school feeding programme to ensure children in public schools got nutritious meals to keep them healthy and in school.
He pledged to build a central Food for Kids kitchen from which the meals would be distributed to the schools throughout the city for lunches.
The health allocation is part of the Sh40.77 billion budget for the next financial year 2023-24.
It comprises of Sh28.78 billion for recurrent and Sh11.99 billion for development expenditures.
The new budget is a slight increase from the current financial year, which is Sh39.63 billion.
Sakaja’s proposed budget is the highest since the advent of devolution.
The county assembly has been allocated Sh3.25 billion for its operations, a drop from Sh3.7 billion allocated in the current year.
The funds will enable the assembly to carry out functions like paying MCAs allowances, administration, renovations, staff salaries and maintenance, as well as exercise its roles which include approval of laws and oversight.
The finance and economic planning sector, which is mandated to ensure prudent public finance management, has been allocated Sh6.09 billion. This is inclusive of the Ward Development Fund. For the WDF, the allocation has shot up to Sh2.027 billion from Sh1.6 billion.
"There is need for the finance sector to religiously report on how it has helped the county ensure there is fiscal discipline in the management of public resources, adherence to approved budgets, inventory management, ensuring compliance with accounting standards as well as promoting effective use of public resources," reads the CFSP paper.
The County Public Service Board has been allocated Sh137.4 million for the implementation of sector priorities, a decrease from Sh191.1 million in 2022-23.
The mobility and works sector has been allocated Sh3.59 billion to set up public transport facilities, upgrade traffic management systems, reduce congestion, pedestalisation of streets and improve junctions.
In his plan to prioritise provision of decent, affordable housing, promote orderly urban development and upgrade informal settlements, Sakaja has proposed Sh358 million for the environment and planning sector.
To initiate the Green Nairobi project, which targets planning of trees, Sh3.53 billion has been proposed for the sector.
The sector constitutes food and agriculture, environment and water and sanitation subsectors.
The emergency fund has been allocated Sh350 million to ensure the revolving fund is always replenished and managed in line with the Public Finance Management Act, 2012.
The office of the governor is expected to utilise Sh300 million.
Initially, in the other regimes, the governor's office used to have a high budget since it comprised of five subsectors of administration, legal services, audit and risk management, disaster management and security and compliance.
However, under Sakaja's administration, each subsector has been allocated its own budget.
Security and compliance has a budget of Sh2.1 billion, the office of the county attorney Sh859.2 million, administration and boroughs Sh1.8 billion and Sh104.3 million for audit and risk management.
The disaster management and coordination sector has been allocated Sh628 million.
To increase access and retention to quality ECDE centres, Sh22.48 billion has been allocated to the talent, skills development and care sector.
The funds will also be utilised for rehabilitating 44 ECDE centres and construct 100 classes for ECDE centres.
"The funds will also provide bursaries and scholarships to 107,000 needy students, construct two ultra-modern social halls, rehabilitate 29 social halls undertake outreach activities among other priority areas," the CFSP says.
For priorities under the business and hustler opportunities sector, Sh1.67 billion has been proposed to increase medium scale enterprises financing, capacity development for MSEs, establishment of one incubation centre for start-ups and equipping of one common user facility.
"The sector also aims to develop policies on betting and gaming, construct four new modern markets, build 800 kiosks, rehabilitate three existing markets. The liquor board on the other side anticipates to organise retreats to facilitate monitoring of liquor planning documents," the CFSP reads.