Retired Presidents Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki won't have to drive clunkers next year. They are among the winners in the bidding by state departments for 2019-20 budget increases.
It is proposed that the former heads of state receive Sh50 million to purchase vehicles — in addition to the standard Sh1.5 billion they are to receive this financial year.
However, Budget and Appropriations Committee chair Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa expressed concern the amounts have not been broken down.
The call for additional cash for Moi and Kibaki followed an appeal by State House, saying the vehicles being used by the two are too old.
It is believed, however, that wealthy ex-presidents have managed to buy more than one vehicle for themselves and their families.
But the Ichung’wa team said it was difficult to determine the benefits per beneficiary as there are no explanatory notes for the allocation.
“There are no notes as to why gratuities, a one-time payment, is being paid years after service and is spread out to cover the medium term,” the MPs said in a report on the proposed budget estimates tabled in Parliament.
In the estimates, the National Assembly suffered a setback in its request for an improved transport fleet following Sh2.8 billion deducted from its budget.
The Senate unsuccessfully sought Sh300 million for a new fleet.
MPs will also travel abroad less often after the committees reduced their allocation by Sh1 billion. The savings will fund increased salaries and operating expense of constituency offices.
Other gainers are likely to be former Speakers Kenneth Marende and Francis Kaparo for whom Parliament is seeking Sh120 million for entitlements.
The Bureau of Registration got Sh300 million more for the digitisation of the birth certificates registry (Sh100 million) and the rest for building construction.
The Kenya Coast Guard, which was unveiled last year, will get Sh300 million more — cash deducted from NIIMS to purchase more boats to patrol the Kenya coastline, Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana.
To bolster the fight against corruption and other crimes, the DCI also got Sh200 million.
The Prisons department got Sh177 million to complete 40 stalled projects in a bid by PS Zeinab Hussein to improve correctional facilities.
The Parliamentary Service Commission has also secured Sh1 billion in the proposed estimates to engage interns to work in constituency offices at Sh25,000 per month.
The Education ministry’s vocational training agenda is proposed to get Sh4 billion for capitation for TVET students.
The Teachers Service Commission has also been allocated Sh1.2 billion extra to recruit 3,000 primary school teachers.
About Sh80 million is likely to be allocated to Embu, Kisii, South Eastern, Rongo, Jaramogi and Bomet universities.
Judges are likely to get Sh400 million for taxable car allowances and staff pension arrears, with an additional Sh85 million for recruitment of judges and judicial officers.
The judiciary is also expected to get Sh25 million to make the witness protection board operational.
Political parties also reaped big following the proposed allocation of Sh500 million for their activities.
The Defence ministry is expected to get Sh1 billion more for meetings, conferences and temporary committees expenses.
The Budget committee approved increased allocations to the Water ministry for flood control, Mwache dam headquarters (Sh300 million), Ijara waterworks (Sh50 million), Umaa dam (Sh350 million), water pans and small dams (Sh600 million).
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s universal health coverage, however, failed to get an additional Sh600 million on grounds there is no report on the outcome of UHC in the four pilot counties – Kisumu, Nyeri, Machakos and Isiolo.
Advertisers will lose a lot after a proposed reduction of Sh114 million for the Government Advertising Agency funding. The Ajira Fund only secured Sh200 million despite bidding for Sh1 billion.
In the proposed estimates, the NYS also lost Sh600 million of the Sh3.4 billion it had sought.
Fred Matiang’i’s Interior ministry also lost its bid for Sh800 million to set up surveillance systems in selected urban centres.
The digital literacy programme has also lost Sh1.5 billion on grounds there is no report on Phase One of the project that has consumed more than Sh15 billion.
Tree planting campaigns, as recommended by the Ichung’wa team, will now be a preserve of local community forest associations after the committee slashed Sh900 million requested by the Forestry ministry.
